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Every MOPS group faces some unique obstacles. In northern Idaho, the reservation MOPS group (Rez MOPS) encounters the challenge of bringing together two distinct cultures while balancing meeting times with working moms' schedules and obtaining financing.

The Rez MOPS group meets on the reservation of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in Plummer, Idaho. In the 1900s, the land on the reservation was first divided among the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Unused portions were opened up to homesteaders who came to log the area. Today, the 6,500 people who call the reservation home are a mixture of both Native Americans and non-Natives.

Most people on the reservation live in rural towns. However, relationships are at the heart of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. They come together for the good times and celebrations, as well as during the hard winters and family emergencies. Children are taught the value of relationships starting at birth.

Everyone in the tribe, especially the grandparents, is involved in parenting. Daily schedules are based upon the relationships with the people around them. For example, breakfast is served when everyone in the house is ready to eat, not just because it's 8 a.m.

The children of both cultures attend school together and interact with each other frequently. MOPS Mentor Denise Floch says the elementary-school children don't notice the cultural differences. But as they enter middle school, they become aware of cultural differences and values. By high school, invisible lines are drawn that are not easily crossed. And as adults, interaction between the Native and non-Native cultures significantly decreases to almost nothing.

MOPS Coordinator Janet Butcher is part Choctaw and lives with her non-Native husband on the Coeur d'Alene reservation. She was previously involved with a MOPS group in a neighboring town. She felt passionately that the moms on the reservation needed to experience the friendship and support she'd found at MOPS. So in 2006, her former MOPS group decided to sponsor the Rez MOPS group by providing financing and helping with the MOPPETS program. The group meets on the first Saturday of the month because most of the moms work full-time to supplement their family's income.

Rez MOPS is working to break down the unspoken barriers in their community. Their Steering Team is a mixture of both cultures. Together they work carefully to create content for each meeting that's beneficial for all the moms and helps build relationships. And the group itself consists of 15 moms who are both Native and non-Native Americans. Butcher says, these women have said, "It's so nice to see moms together, no matter [the culture] and bonding, because they're all moms and can discuss parenting."

Along with parenting, the moms also are learning how to build relationships by choosing friends and helping others, resolving conflict and extending forgiveness. They spend a lot of time talking about acceptance, too. They've worked to identify individual talents and strengths for both the moms and kids and then talked about connecting with other people who'll accept them.

Dianne Allen, MOPPETS Coordinator, includes a Native American tradition by telling "coyote stories" to the children during MOPPETS. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has always used storytelling to teach life lessons. The elders in the Tribe call these stories "wisdom stories" because they teach children about the land and their geography, and about good values and wisdom. The main character in most of the stories is a coyote. The MOPPETS teachers incorporate Bible stories into the storytelling tradition for the children, too.

The MOPS group on the reservation is helping to bridge cultural gaps and unite relationships between Native and non-Native mothers and their families. The moms are learning about parenting, but most importantly they connect on the common ground of mothering. Together, these moms are supporting each other to become better mothers and build family values that can be passed along to future generations.

Jackie Alvarez is the Editorial Coordinator at MOPS International. She lives in Colorado and enjoys snowboarding, watching movies, seeking out good music and engaging in conversation about faith.

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