PAUL HAMBY
The leadership of the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes have declared a state of emergency because of a chronic lack of dental care on the reservation.
The announcement, made earlier in the month by the Tribal Executive Board, is meant to open up a dialogue between the tribes and the Indian Health Service, the main provider of healthcare for tribal members. The priority for tribal officials will be to fast-track more dentists and dental hygienists into IHS facilities in Poplar and Wolf Point.
âAn issue that weâre having right now is when we go to IHS for a dental appointment, a lot of our people will get referred out to Billings, and many donât have the luxury of affording the cost of that trip ⦠Some already struggle to make the 22 miles from Wolf Point to Poplar,â said Alex Smith, a member of the Tribal Executive Board.