Health Education

Our Vision: A safe and healthy community.

Our Mission: To improve the health of its residents by providing community support for adopting a wellness lifestyle.

Our Goals:
To provide prevention education that reduces the risk of disease.
To provide opportunities and positive alternatives that help create healthy behaviors.
To provide holistic services that include physical, mental, spiritual and cultural components.
The Health Education Program works in all settings including schools, communities, homes and clinics.

Our Programs:

• Child and Passenger Safety Program
• Tobacco Free Communities
• S.O.S Program
• Snap Nutrition Education
• Niin Gikenjige
• Wisdom Steps
• Health Awareness and Education Programs

Child and Passenger Safety Program
The Child and Passenger Safety Program has educated families on the proper use of and distributed over 4,000 car seats to people living on the Reservation. Mondays and Thursday at the I.H.S. Clinic. Call 218-983-6343 to schedule an appointment.

Tobacco Free Communities
The Tobacco Free Communities grant is funded by MN Dept. of Health and coordinated locally by Gina Boudreau. The White Earth Nation (ishkonon i’u bemaadiizid “Save that Life”) Tobacco Coalition has been in existence since approximately 2003. It is a known fact that commercial tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. As Native Americans, we have the highest rate of cigarette use in the nation. Tobacco is our sacred medicine so we have to continue this important work for the good health of the next generation. Some of the highlights of our work in tobacco prevention and education are:

• Creating smoke free policies/policy enforcement
• Education about smoking, 2nd hand, 3rd hand smoke
• Help smokers quit by offering cessation support and resources
• Offer traditional tobacco for community funerals and events
• Encourage growing and harvesting traditional tobacco
• Offering signage to support smoke free policies
• Encourage youth to use tobacco in a traditional way

S.O.S Program
The S.O.S program is a collaborative effort between many programs to provide education and support for families and individuals to live healthy and addiction free lifestyles. Throughout the year many activities, workshops and events take place.

Snap Nutrition Education
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We provide a Nutrition Education Assistant to ensure that those eligible for SNAP can make informed decisions about their nutrition. Providing educational materials on health and nutrition, healthy recipes, using your food dollars wisely and shopping tips are all a part of the SNAP Nutritionist work.

Snap is funded by the USDA and come to White Earth through the MTC.

Niin Gikenjige
Niin Gikenjige is a coalition made up of representatives from White Earth Tribal Health, Sacred Spirits, White Earth Indian Health Service, MDH (Minnesota Department of Health) MATEC ( Midwest Aids Training & Education Center) Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF) & RAAN (Rural Aids Action Network) Niin Gikenjige’s mission is to break down the stigma surrounding HIV & Hepatitis C so that more people get tested. Niin Gikenjige provides education, prevention programing, testing and referrals to medical services as appropriate.

Goals and Objectives:

• To increase awareness by promoting educational opportunities that will reduce stigma associated with HIV/AIDS as well as empower tribal members to participate in preventing or identifying health risk.
• To enhance the capacity of the White Earth Coalition in developing culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS services, policy, and protocols by building collaborations and partnerships which will expand local, regional, tribal, and federal networks and resources.
• To increase access to HIV/AIDS screening in tribal communities* by offering more opportunities as well as incentives to participate in rapid testing services resulting in improved health management.

Wisdom Steps
Wisdom Steps is a Health Prevention Program for our Native Elders to promote and maintain good health. The Elders participate in many health screenings, educational programs and physical activity events throughout the year. Those who participate are recognized for their efforts at the Annual Wisdom Steps Conference. Bev Karsten helps coordinate this on the local level and is also involved with the State Board. This years Annual Conference will be held at the Shooting Star Casino, Hotel and Event Center in June.

Health Awareness and Education Programs
The Health Education Program staff hosts many different healthy lifestyle events. We also speak at many events on many different health topics in different venues throughout the year. Some examples are:

• Health Fairs
• Cancer Awareness Programs
• Hearth Health Programs
• Arthritis Education
• Pain Management Programs
• Nutrition Education
• Caregivers Conferences
• Motivational Workshops
• Brain Development Conference
• Festival of Feathers
• Celebrating Children's Event
• Families First Week
• Red Ribbon Week activities (Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week)
• Support for area walks/runs
• Men's night out
• Women's health night
• SNAP Program
• D-day Activities (Great American Smokeout)
• Smoking Cessation
• 5K's in Communities
• HIV/HEP C Testing and Referrals

The Health Education Program helps provide sexual abuse prevention classes in Head Start Classes as well as provide some of the puberty education for Pine Point, Naytahwaush and the Circle of Life School students.