Indian Health Services

Maria Vega, a member of Montana’s Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, was jailed in 2015 after a suicide attempt. Vega is now part of a group of tribal members, academics and policy experts proposing alternatives to the policy of jailing people who try to kill themselves. The policy was created in 2010 because of a lack of mental health resources on the reservation.

Montana tribes want to stop jailing people for suicide attempts but lack a safer alternative

An 11-year-old tribal policy allows law enforcement to put members who threaten or attempt suicide in jail or juvenile detention to prevent another attempt. And tribal leaders say that unless they can attract mental health workers to remote northeastern Montana, the jailings will likely continue.

Tribal Affairs

Crow Leaders Request Federal Support For Law Enforcement, Health Care

Kaitlyn Nicholas

Crow tribal leaders met with Montana U.S. Senator Steve Daines on July 17 to request support for the new tribal police department’s operations and novel Coronavirus surge planning.

Nurses administer a nasal swab to test people for the COVID-19 illness at a surveillance testing event in Crow Agency May 27, 2020.

Tribal Affairs

Native Americans Account For 13 Percent Of Montana COVID-19 Cases

Kaitlyn Nicholas

Last weekend, Montana saw its biggest spike yet in COVID-19 cases. YPR reports how the disease is impacting Native Americans across the state.As of Jun.…

Health

Yellowstone County Agencies Release Plan To Combat Crime And Addiction In Region

A group of government agencies and Yellowstone county organizations have released a plan they say will cut back on drug-related crime and addiction in the…

exterior of the Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center

Tribal Affairs

New Chemical Dependency Program To Serve Billings Urban Indians

The Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center hosted a health fair and open house Thursday to celebrate the opening of their new chemical…