November 2006

New Renaissance program takes chiropractic to reservation

Brandi Charette, of the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana, will be one of the first Native American students to attend chiropractic college and open a reservation‑based chiropractic office, thanks to a scholarship granted by the New Renaissance "Love Has No Color" program.

"Love Has No Color" is supported by the Mentor IV Coaching Program, which will send Charette to Life University. After she completes her chiropractic studies, the program will raise funds for her to construct an office and community/cultural center on the reservation, which currently has 65% unemployment.

The project is the brainchild of Kevin Pallis, DC, and Ed Plentz, DC, coaches and creators of the Mentor IV Coaching Program. "We were kicking around ideas for a world project that we, as coaches and as individual members of our coaching program, could embrace," Dr. Plentz explained. "We kept seeing other DCs going to foreign countries to adjust thousands of people, and then leaving. There was no patient education, no follow up and, of course, no paradigm shift in health. It was a prime example of the story about giving people fish instead of teaching them how to fish."

Dr. Plentz reasoned that, since chiropractic was started in America, it was natural to bring chiropractic to the first Americans, the Native Americans.

Initially, when they introduced the program to doctors in the Mentor IV Program, Pallis and Plentz were concerned that the concept would not be universally embraced. Their fears proved unfounded. "Our people not only embraced the concept, they exceeded all expectations with their innovation and generosity," Pallis noted. "People in our program kept remarking, 'This makes us feel so connected to chiropractic and to humanity.'"

Many of the patients of Mentor IV doctors got involved and donated money to the cause.

"I was able to witness what happens when a culture loses their wellness and I was moved beyond measure," said Kenny Harless, DC. "I knew I more had to be done. I took full responsibility and included my office and my community. Our practice members were incredible, whether it was donating money or their time."

Heather Freedlund, DC, one of the first Mentor IV doctors, explained, "What I realized as I shared the 'Love Has No Color' vision with my practice members is that they, too, are looking for a bigger vision. They want to help make the world better, but like me they are sheltered. The more I talked, the more they grasped the vision. We worked together as a group to donate to the scholarship fund. Their response was at times overwhelming."

In May 2006, Pallis told Guy Riekeman, DC, President of Life University, about "Love Has No Color." Riekeman's well‑known admiration and love for Native Americans is clearly reflected in his Indian Paint Brush ranch in Colorado. He quickly embraced the project and, with the approval of Life's board of trustees', he awarded a Presidential Scholarship for undergraduate and chiropractic studies at Life University.

That same month, on the Fort Peck Reservation, the Mentor IV Program held its "Boot Camp," which featured ceremonial dancing and an authentic sweat lodge ritual.

As a gesture of their good will toward the reservation, the Boot Camp participants refurbished a building, transforming it into a movie theater, and presented a health awareness seminar to the reservation tribal members.

Kenny Smoker, Wellness Director for 11,000 tribal members on the Fort Peck reservation explains, "With an unemployment rate of 65% on my reservation, the outcome from poverty on our reservation does little in giving hope to our membership. We tend to accept the negative as the norm in our society. All that seems to be changing. What I have witnessed the past four months is something remarkable. The New Renaissance Chiropractic group visited our reservation and participated in a community project with us, one that is healthy and positive and that is instilling hope for the youth, creating a brighter future. They are making history and making a positive different in lives on our reservation. This is an exciting time for us!"

"The 'Love Has No Color' project will lift the spirit of the first Americans and bring hope to this largely forgotten people," Pallis said. "The country and the world will witness firsthand the impact chiropractic makes on community, economic promise and humanity. Imagine when the whole nation wakes up to the health possibilities available to their families through chiropractic. People all across the country are actively searching for leaders, not followers, in today's journey to health."