CDC to hear more from local tribes

A council charged with promoting health issues of Native Americans continues its biannual meeting in Havre today and is set to hear from local tribal leaders about the issues in the region.

The Tribal Counci l Advisory Committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held site meetings on Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian reservations earlier this week and plans to hear from locals on other health issues throughout their meeting today in the Student Union Building Ballroom on Montana State University-Northern's campus.

The council was scheduled at 11:15 this morning to hear the first round of feedback from tribal leaders, with other sessions from 1:40 to 2 p.m. and 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. From 4:30 to 5 p.m., discussion about national health issues will take place between the council and tribal leaders. A wrap-up session begins at 5

p. m., and the meeting is set to conclude at 5:45 p.m. Already, the council, comprised of 15 representatives from across the country, has heard about issues Native Americans are experiencing in the region.

Kathy Hughes, co-chair of the council, who is also vice chairwoman Of the Oneida Nat ion i n Wisconsin, said that Fort Belknap faces environmental health issues caused by mining in the area.

The water is contaminated and is contaminating soil and plants, as well.

"We don't know the consequences of that, but you can visually see" contamination on even rocks in the river, she said.

"We can live without food, we can't live without water," she said.

But financial restraints put a damper on what the Tribe can do to mitigate the damage.

"It's just not financially feasible" to address the issues, Hughes said.

Grants can help pay for cleanup efforts, but the processes of accessing that assistance through the CDC is convoluted, she said.

The council is trying to help review the process in general and "simplify them so they're more accessible for more tribes," she said.

More training, such as creating webinars, also is being explored to help people understand the process, she added.

The council is seeking to create a strategic plan for itself.

Relatively new, the council initially experienced some issues becoming cohesive. Now, it has reached the point where a plan in necessary, Hughes said.

"The strategic plan is to give you guidance to prove that you are actually doing something," she said.