Five tribes in northeastern Oklahoma held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new health center.

The $10 million Northeastern Tribal Health System facility will be operated by the Miami Nation, the Peoria Tribe, the Ottawa Tribe, the Modoc Tribe and the Quapaw Tribe. Services will be available to any member of a federally recognized tribe.

“This really is a big thing,” said project director Kim Chuculate, The Joplin Globe reported. "This has never been done in the Southern Plains region. We’re trailblazers."

Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, attended the ceremony.

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Tribes launch health clinic project (The Joplin Globe 8/5)