The prevalence of diabetes is two- to threefold higher in American Indians in Montana compared with the non-Indian population. High rates of diabetes have also been described in Canadian aboriginal populations closely related to tribes in Montana. Diabetes in pregnancy has increased among Native American mothers and high-birth-weight babies are increasingly likely to be born to Indian mothers with diabetes in pregnancy.
As a previously unrecognized tribe, the Little Shell Tribe has little access to tribally specific
health data and must instead rely largely on anecdotal or derivative data to describe its health
status and need for health services. American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) experience the worst health of any population in the United States, including the highest rates of death from cirrhosis and diabetes. Life expectancy at birth is less than 74 years but is significantly lower in the Billings Area where AI/AN men are not expected to live past 62 years of age.1 The Billings Area, in which the Little Shell Tribe is located, suffers the most significant number of years of lost life of any of the eleven IHS Service Areas.
The 6,294 members enrolled members of the Little Shell Tribe live throughout the United States and in three foreign countries. The Little Shell Tribe’s service area is a four county, non-contiguous are roughly the size of Rhode Island, spanning over hundreds of miles.
While we have been disadvantaged by the failure of the federal government to recognize the
Little Shell people as Indians for 140 years, we have been advantaged in starting to develop a health care delivery system on our own. Upon Federal Recognition, the Little Shell Tribal Council met with Indian Health Services who stated given the current resources, the Little Tribe may be eligible for funding for a clinic in approximately 40 years. The Little Shell Tribal Council recognized the need to provide services to members and took it upon themselves to find necessary resources to construct a clinic for their people.
The Little Shell Tribe has forged a unique relationship with the Billings Area Indian Health Services to provide care to Little Shell members and members of federally recognized tribes, recognizing that together great things can be accomplished. The Little Shell Tribal Health Clinic is operated by IHS and provides, primary care, behavioral health, dental, lab, pharmacy and vision services.
The Little Shell Tribe has also entered into their first Title I contract with IHS to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and testing via mobile units. With these mobile units, the Little Shell Tribe can provide much needed care to members and American Indian people in the service area and beyond.
With our mobile unit team, the Little Shell Tribe will also provide diabetes education to members in order to help reduce the risk for developing diabetes and its complications. Through a partnership with Indian Family Health Services in Great Falls, MT, this team will work to deepen community health impact by providing American Indian people with an opportunity to address diabetes health issues for a variety of urban and rural populations.
Little Shell Tribe members continue to face disproportionately negative health outcomes. To combat these disparities, we have increased access to affordable, equitable, culturally sensitive health services via our mobile medical unit. Our mobile health units will also connect patients to wider community resources. By collaborating with local agencies such as IHS Service Units, community health centers, churches, social services and other hospitals and clinics, we can effectively address diabetes prevention and treatment and overcome these challenges for the Little Shell Tribe.