We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
For decades the idea of mental health has simply been pushed to the back burner, left to include the just a few 'crazy' individuals hidden from society in mental hospitals. Mental Health was really never a focus of the public eye. In the last 10 years national organizations and groups of multitudes of charities have been working hard to help bring awareness to the huge Mental Health issue facing our country today. On a much larger scale a very determined and organized grassroots brigade has led the charge in bringing the awareness of mental health to the front and center of our national health discussion.
Celebrities, athletes and major sports leagues have been prominently seen on television commercials in spots promoting the need for better mental health care. These athletes and celebrities have done a great job in providing the initial funding to get mental health conversation to the point it is at today. These personalities have played a big role in reversing the stigma that mental health issues often face. Seeing their idols talk openly about their own mental health and expressing the need to talk about it has opened the eyes you many of our youth. Make no mistake that as a community we are just getting started on the journey and there is a long road ahead if we are to successfully make changes to the way mental health is treated in America.
The Hi-line has seen more than its share of suicides in recent years at a rate not ever seen before, and has soared on Montana's Reservations. Suicide awareness has become a major issue in towns all across Montana and the United States. Local groups and organizations are doing what they can to help bring awareness to mental health and try and get ahead of the suicide problem that we are currently facing.
On the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation there is a concerted effort taking place right now that will culminate this Sunday at the Chief Nosy gymnasium in Lodge Pole with an Indian Taco feed open to the public at the end of the day. For the past three Sundays a Cultural Healing Horse Ride connecting all four corners of the Reservation has been taking place. Over the course of the four Sundays Riders, walkers and runner, whoever wants to join in will traverse the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in bringing help and awareness to our youth.
The first ride took place on Sunday, October 30 with riders making the journey from Lodge Pole to Hays. The second Sunday the route was Hays to the Fort Belknap Agency. This past Sunday the group went from the Agency to Dodson and next Sunday the journey will complete the circle connecting the four corners as they travel from Dodson back to Lodge Pole. "Our Pipe Carriers Lead a ceremony to begin each Sunday," said event organizer Hannah Has The Eagle. "Its' all about our youth, we want our youth to know that this is for them, and we can do anything if we put our minds to it. Follow your dreams and how you can heal our community. No matter what happens in life, or what comes before you that you have to get up each day and do the best you can and keep going. We have had a lot of suicides and we need to beat that; we have to do better."
The group organizing the event includes Has The Eagle, Charlie Ereaux and Jeremy Richey, "We work with a great group of sponsors that include Fort Belknap Tribal Health/Native Connections, Zero Suicide, Tawahi and Nakoda Aaniih Economic Development Corporation," added Has The Eagle. "The weather doesn't matter, warm/cold, rain/snow no matter the struggles we suffer for our people." The first Sunday included professional riders as well as everyday riders. "We invited everybody, as we went along people would just join in wherever we were at. The second week we had worked with our youth and we kind of relayed the trail from Hays to the Agency. Some would ride 7-8 miles and then switch out with other riders. We had a wagon with more youth where more people joined us at the Agency. People, wherever we are at are welcome to just join in, they don't have to go the whole way," said Has The Eagle.
As far as numbers, they have certainly fluctuated, "We started out with five riders, this past Sunday we had five to seven riders at different times and two runners. The weather doesn't really seem to affect us, the creator takes care of us. We will have a feed at the conclusion of the ride at the Chief Nosey Gym everybody is welcome to come in and visit, laugh and enjoy a meal, we are serving Indian tacos," said Has The Eagle. She did add, "Sunday was pretty good, it was 20 degrees out, so it was pretty nice. Couple of days before that it would have been tough, we would have done it. The creator takes care of us. We have had a number of youth take part in each leg so far, they are Hadley Not Afraid, TyReese Gone, Laila Jackson, Roan Ereaux, Alex Werk, Tadaya Hegelson and Wamni Williamson. We are very pleased with how everything has gone each week with different people joining in at different spots, we even had an Elder join in today."
