In
the southwest corner of Blanding, Utah, sits a maroon and beige building, at
the end of a private road, surrounded by vacant lots. Shikera Jones and I had
been driving around town, trying to locate an interesting building to write
about; this one seemed promising. When I first got a glimpse of it, I thought
it was a chapter house, but many chapter houses don’t have any signs
indicating the building’s name. I pulled in to the parking lot, to observe this
unknown area. Shikera and I had begun writing possible interview questions when
a man pulled alongside us, a couple of minutes later. The man was Navajo,
judging from the way he looked and how he spoke. “There are two young ladies
out here,” he said. I explained the situation and then he said there was a lady
inside, waiting for us. Looking around, we noticed for the first time the
building was pretty secure; there were cameras all around and the doors had to
be opened from the inside. There was even a button and a speaker box outside. I
took a quick look around the grounds. We were surrounded by yucca plants and
rabbit brushes. There were chairs outside, and up top were thick maroon bars,
that seemed to be a shade from the heat.
As
we entered, we approached a petite lady wearing a green blouse with a large
green beads necklace. We explained the reason we were there, joking about how
we thought we were in trouble, due to the man asking us if he could help us.
She laughed with us and smiled. After she agreed to be interviewed we sat down
with Kristine Paul, the director of The Gentle IronHawk Shelter. She provided a
relaxing, warm-hearted presence, for both of us. This interview was fairly easy
because she answered all of our questions without us even really having to ask
them. I asked questions and then Shikera asked question of her own. From there
Kristine Paul had great responses.
Every now and then throughout the
interview Kristine would point out pictures in the room and describe either an
event or people that had helped with the shelter.
According
to Kristine Paul, Gentle Ironhawk Shelter was named after two young girls that
were brutally murdered by their own father, in September 2000. The two girl’s
names were Dakota Ironhawk Black and Nicole Gentlehawk Black. The shelter was
built to honor and remember them. They built this shelter to provide a place of
safety for people of the San Juan County community. It is a refuge for those
that are in violent homes or in dangerous domestic relationships, including
elder abuse. Mrs. Paul was the main person who founded the money to help build
the shelter which cost up to a million dollars. It was first used ten years ago
but the place was officially opened in 2004.
Gentle
Ironhawk provides shelter for individuals that are physically or sexually
abused. It also provides teachings including spiritual guidance, western
religions, other religious teachings, and how to heal within. These are
programs that are provided for the San Juan County community. They help provide
shelter for women, children, men and elders. Gentle Ironhawk teaches the
importance of family and how to be respectful towards other people, including
interventions on how to deal with disappointment, poverty, substance abuse,
prejudice, etc.
Gentle
Ironhawk Shelter also provides safety planning, GED classes, the opportunity to
of learning a second language, and helping to apply to trade schools. They also
help clients get scholarships and grants. They help clients with job training
or getting in to higher education system. They help clients with resumes,
interviewing skills, and job searches. They offer alcohol and other drug
recovery programs; mental health services, and children’s counseling services; parenting
programs; support groups through the women’s center; grief groups; and a
Parents Without Partners program.
The
shelter has two full-time working attorneys that help set up court dates for
those who need it. They work with the Navajo Nation Court and Ute Tribal Court
as well as Federal and Utah State Courts. There is also a team of advocates who
do most of the legal planning and activities that go on at the shelter. Gentle
Ironhawk Shelter is a non-profit organization and people do donate here and
there. Half of the people that stay at the shelter are natives. The people who come seeking shelter can only
stay up to 30 days but most of them stay a maximum of 190 days. The shelter has
eight bedrooms.
The
residents that stay in the Gentle Ironhawk Shelter have their own
responsibilities. They must keep their spaces clean and abide by the rules that
are set within the shelter. Adults are to keep their children clean. Everybody
has to wake up by eight in the morning and they must be properly dressed.
Residents must keep clean, even with their own rooms, because it must be clean
at all times. The parents are responsible to pick up after their children. The
television cannot be turned on unless a child wants to watch TV, but a staff
has to assist when they want to watch TV. Everyone in the shelter must do their
part in keeping the shelter clean and to keep up with the chores that are given
to them. From 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm is the time used to work on projects with the
staff. The ladies from the shelter share with one another so that they may bond.
As for the children, the rules include putting away all their toys. If they
play outside the shelter they must ask their parent for permission and then
that parent has to supervise them. They must eat in the kitchen at all times.
There is a certain bedtime for different ages. For those eight years and under
it is at 8:30 pm; nine years to 11 years old is 9:00 pm; 12 years and older is
at 10:00 pm.
Originally,
the shelter was supposed to be built on the reservation, by Bluff, Utah, but
Father Ian from the St. Christopher mission, said otherwise. The mission is
located three miles east from Bluff. Another reason for not building it on the
reservation is because it would be more dangerous in an isolated location. If
something were to happen, like a breakthrough or somebody comes up acting crazy,
then the shelter has no protection because the police are so far away from
them.
The shelter is open 24/7 to help
those that are seeking help, and even though all we needed was help with our
interview, they were there for us.
--Dasjon and Shikera Jones
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