Tonkawa Council of Elders
Respect Native American Traditions
The Tonkawa Council of Elders was founded in 1974 by a consortium of American Indian individuals, many of whom were tribal seniors. At that time, they were employed by the San Diego Indian Center located downtown, on Fifth and Cedar. This organization and services no longer exist. Tonkawa Council of Elders is the traditional rock of Native American wisdom for the new millinium.
Our Purpose:
The purpose of the Tonkawa Council of Elders Development Project is to improve the quality of life for American Indian Elders. Our major focus is community development.
Our goal is to provide the resources to assist all American Indian elders in a respectful, traditional manner.
To improve the quality of life for American Indian Elders we will inform and facilitate their access to services that will maintain them in their homes, as respected members of their communities and as keepers of our tribal custom and traditions.

TONKAWA SENIOR CLUB
Meeting Dates
Kumeyaay Selected as Senior Leader
Honoring Our Elders Pow wow 2001 - Jane Dumas
1ST ANNUAL PICNIC - SAN DIEGO
Support Services for Senior

TONKAWA COUNCIL of ELDERS
TONKAWA Talking Leaf Newsletter
Previous Newsletters Click on Month January Meeting Newsletter, February, March03, April, June, July, Oct, Jan04, July, Aug, Sept,Oct, Nov, Dec Feb05 March April June July AUG PICNIC Oct Nov Dec March06 April June Picnic06 Picknic07 July Nov07 Feb08 Mar Sept Jan09 Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2010 Jan Feb Apr May June

TONKAWA San Diego Elders Club

TONKAWA 2010 Annual Luncheon

August 12, Thursday afternoon, from 1-3pm the TONKAWA Elders Club saw lifelong friends, new members and enjoyed the conversation and activities at the Annual Luncheon. The University Avenue Home Town Buffet was again the site for this annual event. It is always a special treat to sit down with our Jamul elder, Jane Dumas. She was our opening speaker and offered the blessing for the TONKAWA luncheon. It feels good to see her enjoy those years of effort to keep the club together continue. Dr. Norrie Robbins was her designated driver and a welcome guest at the TONKAWA table.

The Vice President, Jerry Starnes and the TONKAWA Treasurer Jean Vigenault organized this event. We particularly appreciated TONKAWA President Violet Tunohun attending and bringing her Mother, Alexandria Smith to enjoy the elders company.

Some of our long time members have been hard pressed by illness and the accumulation of conditions that result from a life of hard work and bringing forth life. We realize that our children are our future and reward for all our efforts. Marga and Yvon Troha answered the invitation with their attendance. Rose Davis brought the latest copy of Indian Voices and engaged in deep conversation with El Bissara. Also, Jean brought her Mother, Genevieve, a long time TONKAWA member. Manuel and Celia Flores enjoyed the company of Gwen Cooper and will graciously offer their patio for the September TONKAWA meeting.

Carmella Ignacio also engaged in conversation with Gwen and Randy Edmonds and Bonnie. All declared they came hungry and found the HTB fare to their satisfaction. Many said they would make better efforts to attend future meetings now that Jerry Starnes has secured the IHRC location for our October and future TONKAWA meetings. Still on the second Sunday of the month at 11:30 or noon.

As folks started to think of their next afternoon meeting or appointments, a surprise gift was distributed. Jean had brought in delightfully beautiful and colorful potted plants in flower for all attending. Smiles all around, happy bellies, and beautiful American Indian people slipped into the bright San Diego sunny afternoon.

See you all at the next TONKAWA meeting!

Respectfully submitted:

Roy Cook, TONKAWA secretary
New (to this list) on the WEB
Aging in the Media
To subscribe to this newsletter: mailto:ddriver@berkeley.edu with "subscribe newsletter" on the subject line.

Charlie Rose Brain Series Episode Six - The Aging Brain, Public Broadcasting http://www.charlierose.com/view/content/10929

You're Never Too Old To Come Of Age
What Are Friends for? A Longer Life, TARA PARKER-POPE, Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2009. http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20090421/ZNYT04/904213021/1018

From National Public Radio
* AGING: DYING YOUNG AS LATE AS POSSIBLE, National Public Radio’s To The Best of Our Knowledge, distribution:week of 02/21/2010 - http://www.wpr.org/book/100221a.cfm

* The Aging Brain Is Less Quick, But More Shrewd by MICHELLE TRUDEAU, March 1, 2010,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124118077&sc=nl&cc=es-20100328

* Why Does Time Fly By As You Get Older?, by ROBERT KRULWICH, February 1, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122322542&ps=rs

* Fresh Air from WHYY, April 2, 2009 End Of Life Care In America, A Doctor's Diagnosis, Abigail Pope. Dr. Robert Martensen has held positions teaching bioethics and medical history at Harvard Medical School and Tulane University in New Orleans. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102638208

* Thinking about Death, April 2.
End of life issues like living wills and hospice care are things that nobody wants to talk about, but New York Times health columnist Jane Brody wants to change that. Her new book “Jane Brody's Guide to the Great Beyond: A Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life” covers both medical and emotional issues that Brody feels we all need to address before they're imminent. Listen at: http://www.hereandnow.org/shows/2009/04/rundown-42/

From The NY Times
* Treating an Illness Is One Thing. What About a Patient With Many? By SIRI CARPENTER, Published: March 30, 2009: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/health/31sick.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

* As Use of Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Grows, Studies Raise Concerns, By BARRY MEIER,
Published: March 3, 2010,
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/health/04metalhipside.html?ref=todayspaper

* Report Finds Shift Toward Extended Families, By SAM ROBERTS, Published: March 18, 2010,
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/19family.html?ref=todayspaper

Consumer Information

Safe (and Enjoyable!) Sex for Seniors: Tips from the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging, http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/safe_sex_tips.pdf

Still Out, Still Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Baby Boomers , March 2010, MetLife Mature Market Institute.
http://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/2010/mmi-still-out-still-aging.pdf

NIHSeniorHealth features authoritative and up-to-date health information from Institutes and Centers at NIH. In addition, the American Geriatrics Society provides expert and independent review of some of the material found on this web site. Each health topic includes general background information, open-captioned videos, quizzes and frequently asked questions (FAQs). New topics are added to the site on a regular basis.
See: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/listoftopics.html
The list of topics includes: Alzheimer's Disease; Arthritis; Balance Problems; Breast Cancer; Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's; Cataract; Colorectal Cancer; COPD; Diabetes; Diabetic Retinopathy; Dry Mouth; Exercise for Older Adults; Glaucoma; Hearing Loss; Heart Attack; Heart Failure; Low Vision; Lung Cancer; Macular; Degeneration; Osteoporosis; Problems with Smell; Problems with Taste; Prostate Cancer; Shingles; Sleep and Aging; Stroke; Taking Medicines

Information on Urinary Incontinence from The May Clinic WEB site, MayoClinic.com has extensive information on urinary incontinence that includes the following sections:
o Signs and symptoms
o Causes
o Risk factors
o When to seek medical advice
o Screening and diagnosis
o Complications
o Treatment
o Prevention
o Self-care
o Coping skills
See: http://mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-incontinence/DS00404

Just in Case: Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers. This free consumer resource includes a 12-page fact sheet and checklist that will help older adults prepare for emergencies. Special emphasis is placed on issues that affect older adults, due to medical conditions, physical challenges, assistive devices, and mobility issues. See: http://www.aginginstride.org/emergencyprep/default.htm

Consumer Sites
* The Guide to Medi-Cal Programs provides a summary of each program; a description of who is eligible and how many recipients are covered; and a listing of the corresponding aid codes. A specific section "Programs for seniors and people with disabilities" is included. The Guide to Medi-Cal Programs can be downloaded from http://www.chcf.org/topics/medi-cal/index.cfm?itemID=20387&subsection=medi-cal

Respect Native American Traditions
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