Rez-Robics' by DreamCatchers Inc. and Navajo Health Promotions

Posted: May 08, 2003 - 12:07pm EST
by: Lucinda Rowlands / Today Staff / Indian Country Today

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The cast of `Rez-Robics' takes a break from filming to ham it up.
(Photo courtesy Gary Rhine.)

MALIBU, Calif. - Richard Simmons had better stay on his toes. White
Mountain Apache comedian Drew LaCapa is gunning for his job. But it
doesn't look like Simmons will have to turn over his tank-top just
yet. LaCapa seems to prefer leopard print spandex and purple gingham
dresses.

"Rez-Robics," the long-awaited two-video set produced by
DreamCatchers Inc. and Navajo Health Promotion specifically targets
American Indians and is available free of charge to them. "Rez-
Robics - The Exercise Tape" and "Rez-Robics for Coach Potato Skins"
use humor to teach simple methods to treat and beat the silent killer
that has reached epidemic proportions - diabetes.

LaCapa provides comic relief on "Rez-Robics for Coach Potato Skins"
with the help of Northern Exposure's Elaine Miles, Nez Perce/Cayuse,
rapper Natay, Navajo, and other well known Indian country faces. "Rez-
Robics for Coach Potato Skins" is a one-hour motivational tape
designed to coax even extremely sedentary people to begin exercising
and learning to eat better.

"Originally we thought `wouldn't it be cool if there was an Indian
Richard Simmons,' somebody who could make Indian people laugh and
make them exercise," said Gary Rhine, the head of DreamCatchers Inc.,
in an April 25 interview with Indian Country Today.

"Drew Lacapa - we had met him at a number of different events like
the American Indian Film Festival. We loved his huge heart and his
great humor and his willingness to make fun of himself. As it turned
out it turned into something quite poignant that he became part of it
because he had just been diagnosed with diabetes himself and that
wasn't common knowledge," said Rhine.

"It was similar with Elaine. Elaine's mom and aunt had both been
diagnosed with diabetes and the two of them had had very different
experiences with it. We found out about all of that and used it in
the script."

Co-producer and health promotion guru Pam Belgarde, Turtle Mountain
Chippewa, and martial artist Reggie Mitchell, Navajo, host the hour-
long companion video "Rez-Robics - The Exercise Tape." The low impact
exercise segments feature fun pow wow dance steps and basic martial
arts moves. Each segment is choreographed to popular contemporary
Indian music by groups like Ulali and Brulé.

Belgarde has been a media producer as well as a health promoter for a
number of years. She once moderated a health show on "Native America
Calling" and produced a video entitled "Just say no to fry bread."

"Pam and I had been bouncing ideas back and forth on how to encourage
Indian country to exercise and eat healthy and what we could do to
combat diabetes. And we had always thought that humor would be
important," said Rhine.

ICT covered the filming which took place in 2000 (Vol. 20, Issue 27).
Only now have the videos been made available to the public. "Rez-
Robics" is one of a very few professional videos with "Reproduction
and distribution of this video is encouraged …" plastered across its
label.

DreamCatchers Inc. is a non-profit organization responsible for a
number of different projects in Indian country.

"We juried at the first nationally broadcast, regularly scheduled, TV
series on Native issues called `First Peoples TV.' We have been
giving scholarships to aspiring Indian screenwriters for a number of
years helping to generate movies from Indian country. We also were
involved with producing and distributing `The Red Road to Sobriety'
which promotes and amplifies the sobriety movement that was already
flourishing in Native America," said Rhine.

To receive free copies of the "Rez-Robics," send a self-addressed box
or padded envelope big enough for two VHS videotapes along with five
dollars worth of postage stamps (no meter labels) to DreamCatchers
Inc., 23852 PCH #766, Malibu, Calif. 90265.

Organizations, non-Indians and anyone interested in more information
on receiving the tapes can visit http://www.dreamcatchers.org or e-
mail rhino@....

From: http://indiancountry.com/article/1052410303

Found on: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Native-American-Advocate/

Posted for educational purposes only: The news that is reported is
not necessarily the viewpoint of Northern CA Native Events and News

Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrine of international
copyright law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html