"We face many health challenges in Indian Country - diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and depression, as well as the scourges of alcoholism and methamphetamine abuse.

Last month, representatives and concerned members from across Indian Country in Montana and Wyoming made their way to Billings for our eighth annual Tribal Health Conference. An unmitigated success, more than 200 people participated in the three-day forum and lecture at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Billings.

Working in conjunction with the Billings Area Indian Health Service, the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council put forth an aggressive agenda to touch not only on these aforementioned crucial health issues, but also on an even greater one - preventive medicine.

To emphasize this theme, we began every day of the conference at 7:30 a.m. We joined American Indians and Alaska Natives across the nation in the "Just Move It" campaign to promote and improve physical activity among Natives. The goal is to get 1 million of us walking daily to improve our health, and it highlights the need for all of us to take greater personal responsibility for our health."

Get the Story:
Gordon Belcourt: Indian Country unites for health (The Billings Gazette 4/28)

Relevant Links:
Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council - http://www.mtwytlc.com

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