Reservation Regulators Encourage Seat Belt Use

The Reservation Regulators is a group of youth aged 2 to 24 that gets together for horseback riding. The average age is between 12 and 15 years. The group started with about 15 youth and has expanded to over 40. Along with the youth, there are a number of adults who support them in their efforts. The adults come along to help wherever help is needed, from pulling a horse trailer to helping saddle a horse to helping someone if they happen to get injured. The good news is there are not many injuries.

The Regulators started out just getting together to ride their horses. They now do all kinds of activities, but a major portion of their work has to do with safety belt use and drinking and driving. They hold meetings and take rides. All youth in the area are welcomed and encouraged to join. It works because it is peer to peer interaction. They get together to teach each other to ride and the importance of caring for their horses. By teaching each other the skills of riding and caring for the animals, they are teaching social skills. This, in turn, leads to respect for themselves and for others, and their actions will show it.

During their meetings and rides, the youth educate each other on the dangers of drinking and driving and the importance of safety belt use. As the group gets bigger, more and more youth in the Fort Berthold area hear the message. Then, they take that message home to parents and relatives. Darryl states, "It is amazing to see what a grandparent will do for their grandchild that they won't do for themselves" regarding safety belt use. Because of the outreach of this program, safety belt use has increased considerably on the reservation and continues to rise.

For more information on the Reservation Regulators and their work in the community, please contact: Darryl Hall, Three Affiliated Tribes Traffic Safety Program, HC 3 Box 2,New Town, ND 58763-3227 or call him at (701) 627-3227 (work) or (701) 627-3211 (fax) or you can reach him by email at tatts@restel.net.