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Albuquerque will host the biannual Circle of Harmony HIV/AIDS Wellness Conference, April 18-21. The gathering focuses on HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention from a Native American perspective. "No one else was doing it anywhere for Native people," said Marie Kirk, the now-retired HIV program manager with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board (AAIHB) who founded the conference, now in its 10th year.
The conference provides HIV/AIDS training and education for those with the disease. It also trains non-Native people on how to conduct culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS outreach in tribal communities. Speakers will focus on HIV and senior citizens, New Mexico's disease burden and national strategies to reduce risk among Native women. Approximately 150 participants are expected.
"We encourage anybody to attend who is interested in HIV and AIDS," said Ayn Whyte, conference coordinator and prevention program manager at AAIHB. "We still live in a time when there are misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted."
For example, among Navajo communities the perception of HIV/AIDS has been, "If we talk about it, we're wishing it upon ourselves," said Whyte.
This year's conference will pay tribute to Kory R. Montoya, an HIV/AIDS activist from the Jicarilla Apache Nation in Dulce, N.M. Montoya, who died last year, served on many state and national boards, including the New Mexico HIV/AIDS Policy Commission and the Denver-based Community Advisory Council for the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. "If changes are going to be made, you have to be at the table," Kirk said of Montoya's legacy.
For more information about the conference, visit: http/www.aaihbcircleofharmony.org.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
