NAVIGATING LIFE'S COMPASS PROVIDES DRUG PREVENTION PRESENTATION - 09-13-24

PINON, Ariz.—The Pinon Housing Management Office hosted “Navigating Life’s Compass” Sept. 5-6, covering drug and alcohol prevention, positive communication in the home, and traditional life values for its 179 tenants.

Bertina Preston, property manager for Pinon HMO, said the project was part of the NHA Crime Prevention and Housing Services Program annual initiative to provide residents with holistic healing and drug prevention.

Navigating Life’s Compass was this year’s theme because the journey through life has a labyrinth of choices and decisions to make, from positive and negative perspectives.

“For last year’s initiative, ‘In Safe Hands’ was our theme because we came out of COVID,” she said. “This year, I wanted to do something in that same sense and address some of the social ills we see here.”

Law enforcement awareness

She said the social ills in the form of drug and alcohol abuse are prevalent in most Navajo communities, including domestic violence and curfew violations.

Preston said the first day featured Randy Moffit, a drug intelligence officer that traveled to Pinon from Chandler, Ariz.

His service as a drug intelligence officer with the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HITDT) involves coordination and support for the efforts of 655 full-time and 27 part-time participants from 83 federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

“We are a pass through for federal dollars provided to task forces and initiatives throughout the state that are doing drug law enforcement,” he said.

Established in 1990, the purpose of HITDT is to facilitate, support, and enhance collaborative drug control efforts among law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations with a common voice and thereby significantly reduce the impact of illegal trafficking and use of drugs throughout Arizona.

Moffit’s presentation covered the harmful effects of both methamphetamine and fentanyl.

“Fentanyl has really taken a grip in the state of Arizona,” he said. “They’re dangerous not only to our tribal members, but the youth in the community.”

The HITDT presentation covered the smuggling routes across Interstate 40 in Arizona north to the Navajo Nation. Moffit also covered how to recognize an overdose and how to administer naloxone if you should encounter somebody with an overdose.

“Our intention is to talk about what’s going on in the landscape in Arizona and make sure people have knowledge as to how dangerous these (fentanyl) pills are,” he said.

Drug cartels are manufacturing the pills in Mexico and smuggling them north through Arizona.

“In Arizona, we are the largest state in the entire country where fentanyl pills are smuggled through the southwest border, which is why we are reaching out to train and offer education,” Moffit said.

He said there has been 3,332 overdoses in the state of Arizona already this year. To combat this, HITDT has done presentations for tribal nations, including White Mountain Apache and the Navajo Nation.

“It would be best if people have knowledge about how dangerous these pills are and have knowledge about naloxone if an individual is in crisis,” he said. “If an individual is suffering from an overdose, by administering naloxone, you have an opportunity to save that individual’s life.”

Preston commended the information shared by Moffit because Navajo elders are unaware of fentanyl and the dangers it poses, especially since the pills look like harmless candy.

“They look like Skittles,” she said.

Holistic and traditional healing

While the first day focused on law enforcement and drug prevention, the second day concentrated on healing and traditional wellness.

Retired Navajo Police Officer Francine Bradley Arthur covered positive communication in the home.

She grew up in Window Rock and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Northern Arizona University and attended graduate school to earn a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Canyon University.

Bradley Arthur came from a family of law enforcement public servants: her father was a Navajo Ranger, her mother was a judge, her two brothers, brother-in-law, and nephew all served as Navajo Police as well.

As the baby of the family, she was the self-described “shy kid” in the back of the classroom.

However, she would overcome being an introvert and become a police officer with the Navajo Police and serve 20-years after rising to the rank of lieutenant with the Kayenta Police District.

“I was the thin blue line between peace and chaos,” she said.

Ronald M. Jones and Antoinette Dan provided traditional Navajo life values for the tenants.

Preston said they came to the Pinon HMO one day for notary services and during their conversation, she found out that Jones provided presentations in Navajo and English.

“They provided the positive (influence) and provided information to our tenants on holistic healing and bringing harmony back into our homes,” she said.

Preston and her staff continue to oversee 380 housing units for the Pinon HMO. A total of 168 are public rental units and 180 are home ownership units, and NHA conveyed 169 of them.

I only have 11 active homeownership units, she said, adding that she and her staff have dedicated themselves to serving the community of Pinon and its residents.

“NHA is important to the Navajo people because we are committed to excellence,” she said. “We’re out here serving our own community; we’re helping our own people.”

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