HIV/AIDS MEDICINE WHEEL -SOUTH

The South represents YOUTH. It's a time of determination, goal setting, passions, loyalty and anger to injustice.

It's during this stage of life that children learn to fend for themselves. If their needs are not being met, they will find other ways to meet them. A child going to school hungry will often resort to stealing lunches from other classmates. A child lacking loving attention at home may often seek attention elsewhere.

This is the time of rapid growth.

During this stage of life, the child learns about relationships, and begin to develop deeper ones.

If a child has a healthy, loving relatioship with family members, they are more likely to develop healthy, nurturing friendships and relationships outside of their home.

It s a time of play, adventure, seeking knowledge, absorbtion.

It can also be a time of acting out, of trying to get even with those who hurt them. Sometimes its a time of acting out to get attention........ANY attention.

Unfortunately many parents think that once their children are in school full time, their responsibilities as parents are less.

Parents may be busy with their careers, working hard for the future of their families.

Often meals are not shared together or quality time spent as a family unit. Traditional values may not be upheld in the home. In First Nations homes, children may not have healthy exposure to our Elders, our Ceremonies, our culture.

There may be problems in the family relationships at this time. Parents may choose to turn to alcohol or drugs to cope.

Or perhaps parents may just be too busy with work and other responsibilities to offer the child what they need. After several hours in school each day, the youth return home to hours of homework, chores which must be done at home, and too often, to absent parents.

In some cases, the youth discover their parents are too busy to listen to them. Our Youth then learn to keep things to themselves.

Parents often seek refuge in the local bar or in the bingo halls. Sometimes parents simply seek refuge elsewhere, not even taking into consideration that their family may be suffering as a result of their physical absense in the home.

It's at this stage that our youth are most at risk of teen pregnancy, experimenting with alcohol or drugs, crime, and too often, suicide.

The Totem often identified with the SOUTH is the WOLF. Wolves are loyal, loving, protective. They are also our teachers if we are open to what they have to teach. They give warnings before they bite.

THE YOUTH (EAST) STAGE OF HIV/AIDS:

It's at this stage that a person with HIV will begin to have symptoms. They now know they are living with this virus and they find themselves going through various emotions. One moment they may be "okay" with this news, the next moment they may be frightened, angry.

Regardless, they need someone to trust, to open up to, to share their fears with. It's at this time that support groups, visits with Elders or Medicine People, healthy exposure to others living with HIV is needed in order to begin to heal.

As in John's case, he didn't have a family he felt he could share this news with. He so feared their rejection he chose to keep this secret to himself.

Without proper care, without supportive friends, without guidance a person at this stage may find themselves in greater danger. They may continue drinking or doing drugs, not seeking medical attention.

Too often, it is at this stage that the person with HIV will take their anger out on others, either by not practicing safer sex, or by sharing needles with others, or often by striking out in anger.
It is also at this stage that this person is at greatest risk of suicide.

For family members who have just discovered a loved one is HIV+, they too, experience feelings of loss, of anger, denial, blame.

Too often they too, have no one to turn to, and are left to deal with these feelings alone. They may feel guilty, or perhaps they feel so hopeless that they do nothing, say nothing. Often its easier for family members to simply pretend this is not happening, to turn their backs on their loved one who needs them at this time.

Often its at this time that families will fall apart.

Everyone involved has come to a place of decision at this stage. Each will decide which way to go. They will either continue with their healing process or they will stagnate and die. It is also at this stage that families can come together again as a loving, caring, nurturing family on a healing journey TOGETHER.



"WEST