Only thing changed is players
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Editor,
On Feb. 20 my wife fell down and broke her shoulder. I was not at home at the time so when I got back she said the she had fallen down and was hurting. When I felt her shoulder you could tell it was bad so we went to the Arlee clinic. We were informed that we could go to Missoula for x-rays or travel to Polson; if we went to Missoula we would probably have to pay the cost. I just got some medical bills paid from the last time the Arlee clinic referred me to Missoula so we decided to travel to Polson where the x-rays showed the bone had completely separated. They were surprised that she was not screaming in pain.
From there we were sent to St. Joseph Hospital where we were told that they could not help us until Monday; this was on Friday. Their reasoning was that they did not have the proper staff on duty.
So we decided to just travel back to Missoula where we knew she would receive help. All total we spent three to four hours on the road with her having the bone in her shoulder totally separated. They had her in surgery by 9 p.m. that night and they were also surprised that the pain was not more severe. Being from Indian country you get all the side looks from the mostly all female staff as if to say, “Did you do this?”
We still have an Indian agent in Billings who tells the health staff how to run things and they obey, as good Indians should. What has changed from the Indian agents of the 1800s and early 1900s? Indians are still dying because of the policies passed down by the Indian agent. Every time I hear how we are a separate Nation I laugh because when you go to the tribal departments for help they tell you they cannot help you because of federal policy, state policy or Indian agent policy.
Chief Seattle stated in his speech that the Indian would no longer live but only fight for survival. How true this is.
Danny Vollin
St. Ignatius
