b'Nurturing Every SeedA Conversation about Tribal-BasedPractices with Caroline M. CruzCaroline M. Cruz, Health and Human ServicesGeneral Manager for the Confederated Tribesof Warm Springs, understood the importance oflearning through observation at a very youngage. My father taught me to start looking atnature and making connections, she sharedduring an in-depth interview, [and] startedtalking beyond nature and about what I nowknow about connections and the relationshipsto human development, personalities, byobserving people and how it is all connected,like a puzzle or like a circle. Now one of theleading experts in the development and Photo sourced from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Website.implementation of Tribal-Based Practices (TBP),Caroline credits her upbringing with her Like babies you nurture them, but you need tofoundational understanding of protective continue to nurture as they become toddlers,factors. I remember my dad saying, there teenagers, adults, and elders. really are no bad seeds, when we wereworking in the agriculture fields as childrenif During her teenage years, Carolines familyyou nurtured the various vegetables, fruits and moved to the housing projects in Salinas,plants, those seeds can become strong and California. At the age of 19, Caroline was hiredhealthy. As we worked the agriculture fields we by the Monterey County Education Serviceloved certain areas, because some of the land District as a Community Mobilizer to run awas gentle and it would yield more produce; in summer Community Housing Project program. Inother places, the land was harsh but things turn, she was able to hire 14 young peoplewould still grow. The dirt was hard and would between the ages of 14 to 18 living within themake our fingers bleed, but it still produced. projects to create summer activities with a lunchCaroline remembers her father continued to program. Caroline shared that the housingremind her that it was not the seed or the type projects had major issues with drug abuse,of soil that was important; its what you do suicides, homicides, prostitution, truancy, schoolwith those seeds thats important, he said. dropout, delinquency, many living with only oneOnce the seeds are planted and they start to parent, with the majority only having theircome from the ground, you can continue to mothers. She remembers coming homecare and to nurture them. He translated that to frustrated after a long day and having her dadpeople and passed that teaching to Caroline.ask her what was wrong. 4'