GREAT FALLS – Tribal representatives from across Montana gathered in Great Falls on Wednesday to help engage young women in their communities.
The Little Shell Tribe hosted a workshop focused on developing girl-centered programs for Indigenous communities.
Adults and youth participated in activities to identify issues faced by native adolescent girls.
Organizers say the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women is an example of how young women can be at risk.
They hope that expanding resources can give them the skills to be successful and avoid becoming victims.
“We want to give girls life skills that include communication in relationships [and] financial skills so that they can maybe get along a little better on their own if they’re in that situation later in life,” said Kelly Hallman, Girls Center for Research Innovation and Learning senior associate.
“Kelly is giving us a generalized sense of how we start,” said Kati Antonich, Little Shell Tribe tobacco prevention specialist. “And we are able to hone that in on our local communities [and do] what works best for us.
Eight tribal communities were represented at Wednesday’s workshop.
