Wegduskanskan

Through education & culture I work with & inform relatives on cultural health - living a culturally well life in an everyday setting. I am a Certified Personal Trainer & have my BA in Native American Studies/Language. I run a platform called NDGNS XLNC (Indigenous Excellence) & I meet with people who are interested in learning about Physical Exercise, Nutrition, Cultural Health, & I design them personalized Nutrition guidelines & Exercise programs as well. The teachings are that we must take care of this Earth (body) that we live in every day. To have the respect, to be able to cultivate, water, nourish the world outside of us, we must first be able to do that to ourselves. 

We were not really guided or taught on what/how to eat because of colonization we were given rations & commodities that were not good for us in the long run. We realize they were needed for survival during that period of time but today we still consume those foods. The work we do is to help people build a better relationship with food, exercise & most importantly themselves. The more we can work on ourselves & give our bodies more nutrient dense foods, the more it will help us to become better relatives & we will cognitively be able to carry out our work. 

I visit with relatives, clients, students & anyone generally interested in what I have to offer. Whether it is in-person, via Zoom, Facetime, & any other platform of communication! I will usually receive a message whether it is an e-mail, text, or an inquiry on my website. Next, I will give them the link to an intake form on Google that I made, where I can see if I am able to take them on as a client or give them a consultation & let them be on their way with some insight. 

After, I create them a custom nutrition & exercise program that is easy to follow & understand. If they become a client, I begin to coach them 1-on-1. We have weekly check-ins & I present to them over Zoom using culturally appropriate presentations that I've made. We communicate using WhatsApp so that everything is encrypted & I can share videos, photos, & anything else necessary to help them along the way. I give them options to use apps such as MyFitnessPal, MyNetDiary & other forms of wellness apps to help them keep track of their progression/goals.

Throughout our time working together we keep track of their progress, goals & how they are implementing what they learn into their lives, homes, communities. 

My goal has been & always will be to give back to Indigenous communities with my education & gifts in any way that I can. I will never turn down anyone, but my priority is working with our People because they are often the most underserved & lack resources. I know that understanding nutrition, especially carbohydrates isn't something we do not get to do UNTIL we develop diabetes, then we have to keep an eye on carb intake. 

The work we do is done with the knowing & belief that if we can arm our relatives with the actions to take based on the information that we are able to build autonomy & self-belief within them. Through the autonomy & self-belief they will go on to help their families & other relatives to be conscious of the things they put into their bodies & the lifestyle they live every day. It is our vision that one day we will no longer have to say "Our Ancestors used to be really healthy & fit." We want to embody our own form of health/wellness & physical fitness in today's times. We don't always want our excellence behind us or in front of us. We want that at the Center of the day.

I have worked with urban & rural populations aka city Natives & reservation Natives. The youngest people I have worked with our Kindergarten students & the oldest has been someone in their 70's. The intake form I created on Google Forms has a lot of questions & gives them a place to tell me enough of what I need to know to create, develop & approach how to help them. The work I do is in-person, online & hybrid. The work I do is really needed & our People are underserved so I make it an intention to be available & able to focus fully on their goals/needs. I work with some athletes, former athletes, upcoming athletes & people who want to start working out/eating better but have no idea where to begin. Because of historical oppression whether it be from hospitals to authorities, most Natives are not comfortable getting direction from non-Natives so I feel it is very important to keep that in mind when people are coming to me for direction. I am located in South Dakota on the Yankton Sioux Reservation. I currently work with students, professionals, relatives from Marty, Vermillion, Sioux Falls, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, Mission, Sisseton, Kyle & many other places near or around the Native reservations in South Dakota.

The work we do is based on the needs of the community/people we are serving. Someone can have all the education in the world & can try to step into the communities based on that alone, but they would not get very far. Being able to walk with the values & being familiar with the communities belief system & lifestyle helps you in the work you are doing. Those things are important because values, belief systems, & the lifestyle are what give people their identity & for Natives we have a lot of those things in common. 

If there could be a "Trauma-Informed" certification developed by Native professionals within one's community that would be something to see. We are all trauma-informed on some level & understanding historical/intergenerational trauma is a must when working in Indian Country. When we have an idea about trauma responses & how those show up in our people, it makes us that much better of not only a professional but a relative as well. 

I would like to know more about other forms of technology, easier but more impactful ways of doing things with technology, different options of technology that I am currently using & general guidance about all forms of current technology. I want to be able to use technology in the best way that I can to serve the people in a better manner. 

Tanner Drappeau is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. He currently works at Marty Indian School & has worked within the tribe since he graduated from college. He is active within the cultural traditions, he learns his language & is always looking for ways to bridge cultural teachings with modern wellness approaches. Using the Red Road Approach he creates his own from of Cultural Health Approach to fitness/wellness. One that is not rooted in physical appearance but for overall holistic living through movement.