The BT has an enrolled Tribal membership of 17,321 members (Source: Blackfeet Enrollment 2020) with ancestral ties reaching as far as Canada and throughout the United States and has been in existence for more than 10,000 years. Over half of all tribal members still reside on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation (BFIR), which has a land base of 1.463 million acres and which is considered our homelands. The largest town on the reservation is Browning (population 1,026) which has served as the headquarters of the Blackfeet Tribal government since 1894. Browning is considered the gateway to Glacier National Park and is also the principal center of commerce on the reservation. As per the US Census Bureau, our geographic area is considered a rural community because our population is less than 50,000 residents.
In 2017, the BTHD conducted a Community Health Assessment (CHA) which is a needs assessment that identified the health needs of the Tribe via systematic data collection and analytic techniques. The CHA contains information and data about healthcare within the Blackfeet Nation. Featured community health priorities include mental health, substance abuse, access to primary health care, EMS services, violence and public safety, and maternal/infant health. One of the findings in the report indicated that the BT lacked a sufficient number of trained and licensed Tribal members in all healthcare professions, including EMT and Paramedic positions.
In 2015, the EMS department had 1,851 calls for service and in 2019 we had 2,546 calls for service. Thus, between 2015 and 2019 we had a 38% increase in calls for service (Source: 2020 Blackfeet EMS Department statistics). Further, on many occasions, our response team is required to transport a patient to hospitals in either Great Falls (252 miles R/T) or Kalispell (200 miles R/T) for more advanced medical care that our local clinics are not qualified to handle.
The Primary Goal of our project is: “To increase the number of enrolled Tribal members who will become State and Nationally Certified and Licensed Paramedics.”
Our Major Objective is: “During the 12-month project period, the BTHD, in partnership with FVCC and BCC, will recruit and provide tuition, fees, and travel expenses to six (unduplicated number) Tribal members (current EMTs) who will eventually receive an AAS Degree in Paramedicine as measured by records of course completion, travel records, National Register of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification, and State of Montana Medical Examiners Certification.”