Native Student Veteran Works to Prevent Diabetes in Her Community

By Cynthia Jean Jones

Yaateeh. I am of the Salt Clan and born for Two Who Came to the Water Clan, my maternal clan are of the Two Who Came to the Water Clan, and my Paternal Clan are the Chiricahua Apache Clan. I come from a beautiful place called Adaahozhoni in Thoreau, New Mexico, where my late mother was raised by The Two Who Came to the Water Clan and The Towering House People Clan. After meeting and marrying my husband, we moved to Chinle, Arizona on the Navajo reservation, where we now live though our two beautiful children live afar.

I am a U.S. Army veteran and proudly served my country for three years. I received my associate’s degree in elementary education through the G.I. Bill and am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in elementary education with an emphasis in multicultural education at Diné College.

The U.S. Army gave me physical and mental strength to carry out the duties of a soldier, giving me confidence and the ability to make informed decisions. I still carry these skills to this day. As a Native Veteran Student fellow, I was required to set up an event to use my platform to speak on a topic important to me. I chose to create diabetes awareness in my community.

Having members of my own family and community suffer from diabetes has given me the strength and courage to help others lead a healthy lifestyle including maintaining fitness and a healthy weight. Diabetes took my mother and father from me 14 years ago. My sisters and I took on the role of informing others to get yearly physical checkups and to maintain physical activity in their daily lives.

Through the Diné teachings that are passed down from one generation to the next, I have come to gain patience and perseverance. I am forever grateful for all the teachings I have learned and used to come this far in my life. I will continue to be a leader in my family and my community.