It's Up 2 You available

‘Through the Eyes of the Eagle’ Exhibit Promotes Traditional, Healthy Foods

By Lee AllenA traveling exhibition to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes prevention among American Indians through a return to traditional foods is making stops at museums across the country October 15 through January 7, 2012.

Through the Eyes of the Eagle: Illustrating Healthy Living for Children is a family‐friendly exhibition, inspired by a children’s book series of the same name. The Eagle Books, a series of four children’s books (Through the Eyes of the Eagle, Plate Full of Color, Knees Lifted High, and Tricky Treats), encourage a return to the ways of our ancestors, including physical activity and healthy eating.And:The exhibit itself is curated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is based on a children’s book series (over 2 million books have been distributed throughout Indian Country and abroad) about growing strong and preventing diabetes. The books bring to life wise animal characters, Mr. Eagle, Miss Rabbit, clever trickster Coyote, and Rain That Dances who teach the joys of physical activity, eating healthy, and learning from elders about traditional ways.

“Chemehuevi/Navajo author Ryan Huna Smith and I localized the book for older readers, teens, where the heroine is a skateboarder. It’s Up 2 You challenges youth about the temptations of fast food and the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating,” Falk said. (A free digital version is available at www.healthpima.org or as a downloadable app at iTunes)Comment:  For more on the subject, see Ryan Huna Smith's Diabetes Comic Book and Through the Eyes of the Eagle.