Mark Anthony Rolo: Bad River Band puts major focus on health

Here at the Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians reservation along the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin, the tribe and community have made health a major priority. With few tribal and federal government resources, Bad River built a state-of-the-art health and wellness clinic a few years ago.

Before the clinic, tribal members had to seek health services from the white town of Ashland, bordering the reservation. Narrow-minded and dismissive attitudes by hospital staff there kept many tribal members away.

In addition to offering primary care, dental and optical services, the tribe’s clinic has been in the forefront of early diabetes diagnosis and alcohol and drug treatment. Preventive health care also includes cancer screenings and talking circles used to address depression and suicide. (Indian people lead the nation in suicide rates.)

At the heart of Bad River’s approach to providing direct health care services to its tribal members is lifting up its culture and spirituality. Integrating indigenous spiritual traditions and values with western medicine has been vital to the improvement of community health.