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Shoshone-Bannock History in Idaho
PART I OF II: 2008's historic Idaho Democratic Convention, held in Boise, ID, June 12-14, invited Idaho Native American Tribal members from the Shoshone-Bannock/Fort Hall, Shoshone-Paiute/Duck Valley, Nez Perce, and Coeur D'Alene tribal communities to take an active part in the convention activities. On June 12th, the Idaho AFL-CIO hosted a Democratic picnic for convention goers. Mr. Ted Howard, Cultural Resource Director, Duck Valley, spoke to picnic participants about the Shoshone-Paiute-Bannock history in the Boise Valley area. 9:49 minutes.

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TNB->Cheyenne Indian: Cheyenne woman searches for bone marrow doner

Posted on Monday, March 28 @ 22:07:21 CST

AUTHOR: Susan, Olp, Gazette Staff Writer

Thirty-four-year-old Melissa Curley is relying on the kindness of strangers in her battle against leukemia.

Chemotherapy hasn't helped the Northern Cheyenne woman defeat the life-threatening chronic myelogenous leukemia that doctors diagnosed nearly three years ago. So her hope now rests in a bone marrow transplant to restore her to health.

Stumble It!

When a person needs a bone marrow transplant, the first step normally is to test family members.

"Melissa has seven siblings and none of them match," said Eileen Damone, special recruitment representative for the Montana Marrow Program.

Now she is hoping a nonfamily donor will step forward and provide the bone marrow she needs.

The single mom has six children who range in age from 2 to 16. Though ill, she still manages to work part time at a fast-food restaurant in Lame Deer.

At one point Curley was in remission from the disease, but the cancer came back. The medication Curley must take leaves her tired and with little energy.

Neither the disease nor the treatment has robbed her of hope, said the woman who is trying to help Curley find a donor.

"She's very optimistic," Damone said. "She's got a lot to live for, with her six children."

After family members proved less than a perfect match, Damone searched the National Marrow Donor Program registry of 5 1/2 million people, but "there wasn't a match there."

That's not unusual in the case of minority patients, Damone said. Just this past Thursday, leukemia patient Jacqueline "Jackie" Donahue, the sister of Grammy-winning rapper Nelly, died after a matching bone marrow donor could not be found in the registry, Damone said.

"We can match about 90 percent of Caucasians with at least one donor," said Damone, whose office is in Lewistown. "But it's only 40 to 60 percent for minorities."

Damone has organized two bone marrow drives in the coming weeks to help Curley. The first will take place Wednesday in Lame Deer, and the second will be held April 9 in Billings.

Damone, who works under the auspices of the Inland Northwest Blood Center of Spokane, hopes to attract people with any percentage of American Indian descent and other people of color. Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60, in good health and not excessively overweight.

The initial screening includes completing a brief medical history and giving a small blood sample. The blood goes to a lab, where it is tissue typed, and the results remain in a database that is researched daily by patients looking for a match.

If a match comes up, the person will be further educated on the donation process and undergo a physical. At that point, it will be the person's decision whether or not to go ahead with the donation.

In the case of Curley, if a match is found, the donor will be asked to travel to Spokane or Seattle to harvest the bone marrow. All of the donor's expenses, including hotel, meals and medical care, are paid by the Montana Marrow Program, Damone said.

Two procedures, one that involves general anesthesia and another that doesn't, are used to harvest the bone marrow, she said.

"Neither way is painless," Damone said, but the result would be a new lease on life for Curley, or maybe someone else.

"I hope anyone who is healthy will consider joining as a potential donor," Damone said. "Melissa puts a face on the disease, but there are many others who also could benefit from healthy people joining in. It's very sad to see people die for want of a donor."

Bone marrow drive

The first bone marrow donor drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the conference room of the Community Health Center in Lame Deer.

The second drive will take place during an April 9 powwow in the Fortin Center gymnasium at Rocky Mountain College. Eileen Damone, of the Montana Marrow Program, will be on site from noon until 10 p.m.

For information, contact Damone toll-free at (888) 748-3494.

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