REZ GOT GAME

New Game Uses Intervention Strategies to Promote Healthy Living for Native Children



Written by Leslie Hammerberg
Sunday, 21 September 2008

New Game Uses Intervention Strategies to Promote Healthy Living for Native ChildrenPolson, MT – After 13 years of experience serving as a therapeutic foster parent to many children on the Flathead Indian Reservation, CEO and Founder of “Rez Got Game”, Leslie Hammerberg (Mandan Hidatsa), has established a company that offers subtle teaching materials through a game board format. “The game board is silk screened on tipi canvas and offers heirloom quality. Players are provided with real-life scenarios and encouraged to voice their opinion(s) and speak openly about the choices they have made,” says Hammerberg. “The games encourage players to think, feel, then act thereby reinforcing healthy behaviors.”“With an eye toward our future as Native American people and our children as future leaders, I believe ‘Rez Got Game’ responds to leadership development through decision making scenarios that are fun – yet address the salient issues of our times such as abuse, neglect, peer pressure, guns in school, pregnancy, among other rarely talked about issues,” adds Hammerberg. According to mental health experts, early intervention strategies can assist children and teens in creating a healthy game plan for life. “Rez Got Game” products open a forum to think about difficult – yet important – issues impacting children and teens and provide empathetic strategies in order to help children and teens make healthy decisions in real-life situations. The games also teach children and teens through early intervention strategies to move forward in life by making good and solid choices. And finally, the games reinforce a child’s or teen’s ability to feel comfortable talking openly about positive and negative things that are happening to them. “Rez Got Game” currently offers three games: Tipi Dancer (ages 5 to 7), Eagle Dancer (ages 8 to 12), and I Jokes (teens). Another game, Dove Dancer (all ages), is near completion and should be available by the end of this year. Contact: CEO/Founder, Leslie Hammerberg at 406-871-0647. To expedite your order(s) please visit our web site: http://www.rezgotgame.com .
(taken from Native Youth Magazine)