Restoring & Celebrating Family Wellness "Fatherhood, Motherhood is Sacred" Presented by Rev. Shirley Montoya April 28, 2009

Reverend Shirley Montoya is an Ordained Minister in the United Methodist Church, and has served churches in Tucson, Patagonia, and as Dean of Academic Affairs at Cook College & Theological School in Tempe, Arizona. Rev. Montoya returned to her community to work with programs that strengthen Native American families. She is a certified facilitator of the Fatherhood/Motherhood is Sacred Program, the Prevention Relational Education Program and Domestic Violence. Teaching families and children to connect with their Native American heritage is most important due to her belief that Creator has made us a unique and special People. Rev. Montoya encourages all people to participate in their sacred Native ways of prayer, rituals and traditions. She is a 2009 Fellow with the Healthy Native Communities Fellowship (HNCF) sponsored by the Indian Health Service, and is a native of Shiprock. She, her husband, Robert, and family all reside in the community. The Native American Fatherhood & Families Association in Mesa, Arizona, developed "Fatherhood/Motherhood is Sacred", with the goal to strengthen Native American families by teaching how to become responsible parents. This workshop will cover understanding the sacredness of fatherhood/motherhood, the importance of heritage, activities around the words "communication and listening", and interactive activities from the HNCF. Please join us!

Official Website: http://www.hncp.org/wst/navajo