PrintOn the heels of a visit by Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, to the Jemez Pueblo in efforts to promote healthy lifestyles among the American Indian population, 150 youths from 18 different tribes across five states converged in Santa Fe for the fourth annual Indigenous Soccer Cup on Thursday.
And while soccer is still at the forefront of the four-day event at the Santa Fe Indian School, which concludes Saturday, the theme was something much larger.
"We're trying not to focus so much on the competitiveness of the game - it's about promoting health and wellness in our native communities," said JoAnn Melchor, executive director of Southwest Youth Services, which is sponsoring the event.
Melchor remembers growing up on the Kewa Pueblo, formerly known as the Santo Domingo Pueblo, where the staple of her diet were the things grown within her community.
Then, that all changed.
"When we were growing up, we ate mainly fruits and vegetables from the farm - corn, beans, squash," she said. "We would then dry them out so we could have them for the winter months. Then all the processed foods came in, and they became more popular out of convenience. People got away from our earlier way of life, eating foods directly from the field."
And with the rise in popularity of these convenience foods, she said, so too came the rise of an epidemic.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20.3 percent of American Indian second-graders in New Mexico, Arizona and South Dakota are overweight, with an additional 28.6 percent classified as obese.
"For me, education is key," Melchor said. "Diabetes and obesity is a major issue. We need to really teach our children and young people about the importance of fitness, and we try to model that.
"This is about being proactive," she said. "When I see people who are obese, I always wonder if we could have prevented that through education."
So what role does soccer play in conveying this message?
Melchor explained that not only is soccer the most popular game in the world - at least, outside of the U.S. - but it's a game that places an emphasis on cardiovascular fitness. It's also a game that develops other life skills, which is the dual purpose of the Indigenous Soccer Cup.
"(Soccer) is not one of the most well-played sports among the tribes - that would be basketball and baseball - but the popularity is increasing," Melchor said. "And we found that (in soccer), the focus is more on teamwork and accountability - what you do on the field has an impact on everyone else. That's what we're trying to teach our youth."
Besides, with SYS providing meals based on standard nutritional guidelines, the campers can learn firsthand the relationship between diet and performance, she said.
"We allow no junk food, and the kids have been drinking water all week," she said. "For the first time for a lot of these kids, they can see how a healthy diet can impact how they perform on the field or in classes."
Off the pitch, along with teaching the participants, ages 10 through 19, about the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, the four-day event also includes college prep and leadership seminars. Tonight's dinner banquet will feature a guest speaker: 1964 Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills, who is only the second American Indian to ever win gold.