my name is Renard I am a human being in recovery from opiate addiction and
recovery from opiate addiction and
recovery from opiate addiction and really thank you it’s quite a journey in
really thank you it’s quite a journey in
really thank you it’s quite a journey in and although I’m trained as a counselor
and although I’m trained as a counselor
and although I’m trained as a counselor and clinical psychologist I have a new
and clinical psychologist I have a new
and clinical psychologist I have a new wrinkle in my my job description
wrinkle in my my job description
wrinkle in my my job description and that is burying young people in this
and that is burying young people in this
and that is burying young people in this community mostly people in their 20s
community mostly people in their 20s
community mostly people in their 20s often with small children themselves it
often with small children themselves it
often with small children themselves it was about forty five years ago a war was
was about forty five years ago a war was
was about forty five years ago a war was declared and it ended up being not a war
declared and it ended up being not a war
declared and it ended up being not a war on drugs it was a war on human beings
you know I have to think in this coming
you know I have to think in this coming from a public health background if this
from a public health background if this
from a public health background if this were the Zika virus in Akron with
were the Zika virus in Akron with
were the Zika virus in Akron with hundreds dead just in the last year we
hundreds dead just in the last year we
hundreds dead just in the last year we don’t have an accurate count they’ve
don’t have an accurate count they’ve
don’t have an accurate count they’ve called in cold storage for the bodies
called in cold storage for the bodies
called in cold storage for the bodies the toxicology reports are stacked up
the toxicology reports are stacked up
the toxicology reports are stacked up but if this were the Zika virus or Ebola
but if this were the Zika virus or Ebola
but if this were the Zika virus or Ebola for instance we would call in and drop
for instance we would call in and drop
for instance we would call in and drop the 82nd airborne on Summit County and I
the 82nd airborne on Summit County and I
the 82nd airborne on Summit County and I know because I was a paratrooper in the
know because I was a paratrooper in the
know because I was a paratrooper in the 82nd airborne and believe me we dropped
82nd airborne and believe me we dropped
82nd airborne and believe me we dropped for a lot less but I don’t want to talk
for a lot less but I don’t want to talk
for a lot less but I don’t want to talk about the parents in the car we’ve all
about the parents in the car we’ve all
about the parents in the car we’ve all seen the images and the memes I don’t
seen the images and the memes I don’t
seen the images and the memes I don’t want to talk about these things I want
want to talk about these things I want
want to talk about these things I want to talk about the solution the solution
to talk about the solution the solution
to talk about the solution the solution is us is tribe it is building rebuilding
is us is tribe it is building rebuilding
is us is tribe it is building rebuilding tribe in a disconnected world we have a
tribe in a disconnected world we have a
tribe in a disconnected world we have a unique responsibility right here today
unique responsibility right here today
unique responsibility right here today in Akron Ohio
in Akron Ohio
in Akron Ohio to meet these needs we have a wonderful
to meet these needs we have a wonderful
to meet these needs we have a wonderful tradition because at about this time in
tradition because at about this time in
tradition because at about this time in 1935 two gentleman met right down the
1935 two gentleman met right down the
1935 two gentleman met right down the street and they conceived what would be
street and they conceived what would be
street and they conceived what would be the modern recovery movement bill and
the modern recovery movement bill and
the modern recovery movement bill and Bob I can hear the drumbeats already as
Bob I can hear the drumbeats already as
Bob I can hear the drumbeats already as people are gathering as we are here
people are gathering as we are here
people are gathering as we are here today people are gathering from all over
today people are gathering from all over
today people are gathering from all over the world to celebrate that that to
the world to celebrate that that to
the world to celebrate that that to honor our little funky Rust Belt
honor our little funky Rust Belt
honor our little funky Rust Belt community as the birthplace of recovery
community as the birthplace of recovery
community as the birthplace of recovery and I’d like to claim bill and Bob I
and I’d like to claim bill and Bob I
and I’d like to claim bill and Bob I mean they’re they’re our homies and and
mean they’re they’re our homies and and
mean they’re they’re our homies and and it all started here but that wouldn’t be
it all started here but that wouldn’t be
it all started here but that wouldn’t be exactly correct
exactly correct
exactly correct the tradition of peer-to-peer recovery
the tradition of peer-to-peer recovery
the tradition of peer-to-peer recovery or recovery oriented care predates bill
or recovery oriented care predates bill
or recovery oriented care predates bill and Bob by hundreds of years and
and Bob by hundreds of years and
and Bob by hundreds of years and interestingly enough we have a river
interestingly enough we have a river
interestingly enough we have a river valley here the Cuyahoga River Valley
valley here the Cuyahoga River Valley
valley here the Cuyahoga River Valley which is an extremely unusual geological
which is an extremely unusual geological
which is an extremely unusual geological feature in that it is a river that
feature in that it is a river that
feature in that it is a river that almost makes a complete circle which is
almost makes a complete circle which is
almost makes a complete circle which is extremely significant in many world
extremely significant in many world
extremely significant in many world religions the circle is a sacred symbol
religions the circle is a sacred symbol
religions the circle is a sacred symbol and it was understood that maybe the
and it was understood that maybe the
and it was understood that maybe the Iroquois and the Delaware the tribes
Iroquois and the Delaware the tribes
Iroquois and the Delaware the tribes recognized that spiritual significance
recognized that spiritual significance
recognized that spiritual significance of our of our Cuyahoga Valley and if we
of our of our Cuyahoga Valley and if we
of our of our Cuyahoga Valley and if we want to talk about one day just today
want to talk about one day just today
want to talk about one day just today May 20th there are gatherings all across
May 20th there are gatherings all across
May 20th there are gatherings all across Ohio sponsored by the Ohio can event now
Ohio sponsored by the Ohio can event now
Ohio sponsored by the Ohio can event now the Ohio can its citizens again stepping
the Ohio can its citizens again stepping
the Ohio can its citizens again stepping up and this is not government this is
up and this is not government this is
up and this is not government this is you because each of you are imbued with
you because each of you are imbued with
you because each of you are imbued with a unique gift a unique truth that you
a unique gift a unique truth that you
a unique gift a unique truth that you can bring to bear and rebuild our tribe
can bring to bear and rebuild our tribe
can bring to bear and rebuild our tribe again to to back up a couple hundred
again to to back up a couple hundred
again to to back up a couple hundred years the peer-to-peer tradition the
years the peer-to-peer tradition the
years the peer-to-peer tradition the recovery circle tradition dates
recovery circle tradition dates
recovery circle tradition dates certainly to the Native American tribes
certainly to the Native American tribes
certainly to the Native American tribes and I will cite my brother my Shawnee
and I will cite my brother my Shawnee
and I will cite my brother my Shawnee brother
Tenskwatawa
Tenskwatawa tents Matawa it was actually a brother
tents Matawa it was actually a brother
tents Matawa it was actually a brother of two comes up was a loud boastful
of two comes up was a loud boastful
of two comes up was a loud boastful stinking drunk he could not even join
stinking drunk he could not even join
stinking drunk he could not even join his brother in battle against the
his brother in battle against the
his brother in battle against the children of the evil spirits that would
children of the evil spirits that would
children of the evil spirits that would be white people tents Kagawa what tawa
be white people tents Kagawa what tawa
be white people tents Kagawa what tawa excuse me had a transformative
excuse me had a transformative
excuse me had a transformative experience a spiritual experience he
experience a spiritual experience he
experience a spiritual experience he actually fell into a fire and from that
actually fell into a fire and from that
actually fell into a fire and from that started he later became known as the
started he later became known as the
started he later became known as the Shawnee prophet and started the recovery
Shawnee prophet and started the recovery
Shawnee prophet and started the recovery circle tradition in the Shawnee
circle tradition in the Shawnee
circle tradition in the Shawnee tradition so although again I’d like to
tradition so although again I’d like to
tradition so although again I’d like to claim bill and Bob as sort of our our
claim bill and Bob as sort of our our
claim bill and Bob as sort of our our neighbor sons and indeed they are I’m
neighbor sons and indeed they are I’m
neighbor sons and indeed they are I’m also happy to say that Tenskwatawa is a
also happy to say that Tenskwatawa is a
also happy to say that Tenskwatawa is a son of Ohio so again I am view all of us
son of Ohio so again I am view all of us
son of Ohio so again I am view all of us I mean I
I mean I
I mean I we have niek gifts that each of us can
we have niek gifts that each of us can
we have niek gifts that each of us can bring to bear in this crisis and it’s
bring to bear in this crisis and it’s
bring to bear in this crisis and it’s going to take rebuilding a sense a
going to take rebuilding a sense a
going to take rebuilding a sense a tribal connection to step our game up
speaking to tribe I have a tribe that
speaking to tribe I have a tribe that we’ve been building here in Akron almost
we’ve been building here in Akron almost
we’ve been building here in Akron almost exactly 10 years ago May 1st May Day
exactly 10 years ago May 1st May Day
exactly 10 years ago May 1st May Day 2007 we opened the Institute the Packard
2007 we opened the Institute the Packard
2007 we opened the Institute the Packard Institute and we’ve been building tribe
Institute and we’ve been building tribe
Institute and we’ve been building tribe here in our in our fair city since then
here in our in our fair city since then
here in our in our fair city since then you know I don’t want this to be a
you know I don’t want this to be a
you know I don’t want this to be a complete down buzz but I’m going to I’m
complete down buzz but I’m going to I’m
complete down buzz but I’m going to I’m going to show you just a little bit of
going to show you just a little bit of
going to show you just a little bit of what we do we take our game out on the
what we do we take our game out on the
what we do we take our game out on the rivers on these great mystical rivers
rivers on these great mystical rivers
rivers on these great mystical rivers let’s see
one day almost exactly one year ago I
one day almost exactly one year ago I had my tribe out on the Tuscaroras River
had my tribe out on the Tuscaroras River
had my tribe out on the Tuscaroras River along with our trusty mascot pie and I
along with our trusty mascot pie and I
along with our trusty mascot pie and I saw something swimming in the center of
saw something swimming in the center of
saw something swimming in the center of the river I thought was a beaver perhaps
the river I thought was a beaver perhaps
the river I thought was a beaver perhaps lost with me in circles and as we
lost with me in circles and as we
lost with me in circles and as we approached it was a baby calf swimming
approached it was a baby calf swimming
approached it was a baby calf swimming in the middle of the testator River and
in the middle of the testator River and
in the middle of the testator River and could not gain purchase on the banks
could not gain purchase on the banks
could not gain purchase on the banks than being too muddy so I you know I’ve
than being too muddy so I you know I’ve
than being too muddy so I you know I’ve never been a river cowboy as such but we
never been a river cowboy as such but we
never been a river cowboy as such but we were born again hard that day I just
were born again hard that day I just
were born again hard that day I just wanted to share this with you as a way
wanted to share this with you as a way
wanted to share this with you as a way of there’s hope and we are the faces of
of there’s hope and we are the faces of
of there’s hope and we are the faces of recovery we are the faces of hope and
recovery we are the faces of hope and
recovery we are the faces of hope and together we can all make a difference
together we can all make a difference
together we can all make a difference speaking of making a difference I would
speaking of making a difference I would
speaking of making a difference I would like to introduce my friend and
like to introduce my friend and
like to introduce my friend and colleague Greg McNeil Greg is the tip of
colleague Greg McNeil Greg is the tip of
colleague Greg McNeil Greg is the tip of the spear and if you need information
the spear and if you need information
the spear and if you need information he’s the go-to I would also like to
he’s the go-to I would also like to
he’s the go-to I would also like to shout out to all the other recovery
shout out to all the other recovery
shout out to all the other recovery support providers some of who are here
support providers some of who are here
support providers some of who are here today
today
today fi sterling sober these are tribes that
fi sterling sober these are tribes that
fi sterling sober these are tribes that we network with and together we will
we network with and together we will
we network with and together we will make a difference thank you
make a difference thank you
make a difference thank you [Applause]
”
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