GREAT FALLS — The last few weeks, a group focusing on Native American culture and spiritual based programs has been traveling around Montana and currently has stopped in Great Falls.
Native Pride is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but travels the country hosting workshops and retreats focusing on Native American healthcare workers and their mental health.
They have been holding classes at the Hilton Garden Inn in Great Falls and going over many different topics as part of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Conference.
They have a curriculum that focuses on several categories and break out into small groups to have focused discussions on the topics.
The program is run by a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, Clayton Small, who has brought the program to Montana for the first time and is seeing a lot of people benefiting from the discussions.
He added that all eight tribes in Montana have partnered with Native Pride and has heard a lot from Montanans about what they’ve experienced.
“What we’ve discovered with these four trainings that we’re doing in Montana with the Urban Indian Centers is that clinical personnel really need to take time for self-care,” Small said. “They work with clients who are struggling from grief and loss from Covid, the last three years. Issues around substance abuse. Issues around depression, different kinds of addictions. So what’s really important is to take time to work on self-care so that you’re at your best when you’re working with clients.”
There will be one more day of lessons in Great Falls then they will conclude their Montana tour next week in Butte. Click here to visit the Native Pride website.
