ABOUT SCAIR

SCAIR TESTIMONIALS

CONTACT SCAIR
Email-Telephones-Staff-Addresses-Maps-Directions

CALIF Indian Community
TRIBAL BLOGS
TRIBAL NEWS
TRIBAL EVENTS
TRIBAL RESOURCES

SITE MENU

HOME OF THE
SCAIR SOARING EAGLES

Learn about the Southern California American Indian Resource Center, Inc. (SCAIR) tribal TANF programs in San Diego County in our participants' own words:

ESTELLE FISHER

Estelle Fisher, pictured at the SCAIR Family Learning Center in San Diego.

Estelle's profile:
-Single mother, raising one young daughter.
-Urban Indian family living San Diego County.
-Enrolled in the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
-Raised on the reservation, left the reservation at age 5, returned at age 17, left the reservation again with her infant baby at age 25.
-Interview note, March 12, 2010: Big smile, great attitude!

Estelle's tribal homeland, the Colorado River Indian Tribes CRIT Reservation, Parker, Arizona, is a federally-recognized Indian tribe consisting of four distinct tribes - the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. There are currently about 3,500 active tribal members.

"SCAIR Has Given My Family Opportunity"

s a single young American Indian woman raising a daughter, Estelle Fisher, 30, has lived equally in both worlds — reservation and urban.

"Years ago I went on San Diego County welfare. I had seen the TANF posters in the county building, but didn't qualify for TANF then because I was a San Diego resident," Estelle said.

"Time went by, I found a job and got off welfare for three years. Then I lost my job and needed to go back on welfare, but a couple friends suggested I get on tribal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) instead because San Diego residents were now eligible for TANF."

TRIBAL TANF PROGRAMS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Enrolling in the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association (SCTCA) Tribal TANF Program eventually led Estelle to SCAIR cultural counselors.

"Actually, SCAIR called me because I didn't know the next steps after TANF," Estelle said. "Cristina went over what SCAIR was, what workshops and services they offered, the day-to-day activities.

"At SCAIR I found a group of people I could connect with, in a way, like family ties. I was so grateful," she continued, "I saw there was a big difference between county welfare and tribal welfare.

"The tribal process gives you a case worker that helps in your day-to-day life — if you need any kind of resources whatever they might be — and then they give you a job case worker, too.

"They ask you basically what your goals are, what you want to accomplish. So now I thought, okay, I have some assistance, I have some time to work on my goals and prepare."

CONNECTING CHILDREN WITH THEIR TRIBAL HERITAGE

As a traditional Indian woman, Estelle was very concerned that her daughter was being alienated from her Native American heritage by raising her in an urban Indian environment with minimal cultural exposure, little tribal identity and virtually no traditional community role models to look up to.

"My daughter was basically growing up as a non-Native American with our family being off the reservation — you could call her urbanized or citified.

"Now with her being in the Soaring Eagles (youth group) and everything we are doing together in the community with the volunteer work and all, she's finally able to connect with other Native Americans.

"She actually goes to school and tells people she is Native American now. She's Native, not Mexican, not white, not black," Estelle continued, "which for me is a very good thing because she is learning about who she is in the world, and she is proud of her Native American culture.

"(My daughter) associates these centers with being Native American. When she comes in and wants something to do they give her homework packets, support and tutoring — she's able to get ahead as well as her homework at school.

"SCAIR has given my family opportunity," Estelle added, when asked about the greatest thing she has gotten from SCAIR programs. "When (my daughter) is not at school she likes to come here at SCAIR, she says, 'I want to go to my Indian class.'"

FAMILY COUNSELING — Personal & Group Therapy

Sometimes people just need to talk and get things off their chest.

And looking back when Estelle first came to SCAIR, she said, "we did group therapy at that time, so it was really nice because we could share and everybody got to know each other, so that was good.

"(Before) in San Diego, I didn't know a lot of Native Americans, so finding that support group, being able to reconnect with my culture, was great.

"I would say counseling sessions with SCAIR counselors give me the most satisfaction," Estelle added.

"Some Indian people tell me over and over again, 'I don't see why you use counseling, that's for white people,' but I believe everyone can benefit from counseling because you can tell a counselor your true feelings and get them out without hurting anyone.

"My most memorable counseling experience was being told I was not wrong for thinking about someone the way I felt about them."

SCAIR & SCTCA Family Programs Recommended

"I would recommend SCAIR and TANF programs to any Native American family who could use resources as far as counseling, closeness, togetherness, bonding with your community," Estelle concluded, "including all single parents that are Native American and would like their children to learn about their traditions and their cultures."

Just pick up the phone and CONTACT SCAIR today to get started.

RETURN TO SCAIR TESTIMONIALS.