Tribes have conference on wellness issues

The Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Sac and Fox tribes of Kansas will be host to a national wellness conference today through Friday at Haskell Indian Nations University.

Expected to draw between 500 and 700 participants, the conference is designed to address wellness issues substance abuse, domestic violence, diabetes, mental health from an American-Indian perspective.

“The goal is to address what Native American people call the ‘boarding school syndrome’ or what happens when your culture is taken away from you,” said Edmore Green, one of the conference’s organizers and a member of the Sac and Fox Tribal Council.

“We have generations of people who do not realize the nature of their sickness or the path to wellness.”

LaRee Bates, archivist at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, will lead a session at 1 p.m. today at Curtis Hall on “American Indian Boarding School Experiences.” She is expected to discuss abusive conditions in boarding schools run by the Catholic Church.

The sessions are open to the public.

Lawrence recycling rate ‘highest in Kansas’

Lawrence recycled more than 23,000 tons of material in 2001 and sent another 55,000 tons to the landfill a recycling rate of about 30 percent.

City Manager Mike Wildgen reported the figures Tuesday night to the Lawrence City Commission. He said the amount of recycled materials increased by nearly 8 percent from 2000.

The 30 percent rate, he said, “is higher than the national average and considered the highest in Kansas.”

City commission grants $15,000 to arts center

Lawrence city commissioners agreed Tuesday to give $15,000 to the Lawrence Arts Center.

Arts center officials say two new part-time staffers are needed to supervise the center’s new building in the 900 block of New Hampshire. The old building was small enough and open fewer hours to supervise without additional help, they say.

Commissioners said the $15,000 will help protect the city’s investment in the $7.25 million center.

Real estate subject of executive session

Commissioners met in executive session Tuesday to discuss the possible purchase of real estate.

They did not elaborate on the proposal in open session and took no action afterwards.