The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1960-11-03
From The SideIines
by Tiff Mckay

good news 10 both parents and
children. The entire dsv has been
set aside for parent-ieacher con,
ferences. We all owe our children
and the community a visit 10 the
school, if for no other reason
than to break the mOnotony o!
the daily routine. Speaking OF
breaks. this would be a good way
TO spend the coffee break If you
are too busy TO 90 at any other
time. Too many Of US, I'm afraid,
have come to regard the school
as a sort of baby -sitting service
where we can send the kids each
day TO get them out from under
foot and still know that they
won't get into serious trouble.
Then we justify this attitude by
saying TO ourselves, That's what
the teachers are getting paid
for" This may be partly true;
but unless some interest is shown
by the rest of the family the kids
soon regard school as a form OF
confinement something TO be
done as easily as possible and
quickly enough so they will have
time TO participate in family &c
tivities. Wouldn't il be better if
this process were turned around,
so family activities would be
planned to allow time for inter
est in the children's homework?
am just as fragrant a violatOr
as anyone when il comes TO neg
Letting the opportunity Of sharing
in my children's education. More
than once I have been unable TO
remember what grades my kids
are in.
So, I'll do il il you will Let's
all visit the school Friday.
aHa
Browning has another event
of Importance coming this week
end. Sunday, November 6, an
open house will be held at the
Blackfeet hospital Included will
be a dedication ceremony with
DR.. John Shaw of Washington,
ID. c. Chief of the Indian Health
division of the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare,
as principal speaker. Also slated
TO appear on the program are
Governor J. Hugo AronsOn, How
ard T. Johnson, Blackfeet Agency
Superintendent; Meade Swing
ley, Tribal Council Chairman;
o. A. Tellefero. Browning mayor;
Henry Magee, Chairman of the
tribes medical committee, and
Charles Reevis of the Blackfeet
Honorary Council. A dinner will
be served under sponsorship OF
the Blackfeet Tribal Council /
have visited the hospital recently
and / can assure you il is beau
tiful addition to the community.
sss
Many still believe the Black
feet hospital is operated by the
Bureau OF Indian Affairs, OF
which the Blackfeet Agency is a
part This is not the case. Health
activities for Indians all over the
u. s. were transferred, under an
act Of Congress approved August
5. 1854. from the Bureau of In
dian Affairs to the Department
of Health, Education and Wei
fare. Although the Department
of Interior and the Department
of Health must necessarily coop
crate in such a program, actual
MANAGEMENT OF the program rests
with the USPHS.
zee
The Blackfeet have been among
the leaders of Indian tribes in
furthering health programs for
Indians For example, the Black
feet were one of the few tribes
in this part OF the country TO sup
port the transfer Of Indian health
activities from the Indian Bur
eau to the Public Health Serv.
ice. More recently. the Blackfeet
were among the first 10 adopt a
contagious disease ordinance and
were instrumental in developing
the plan whereby commitments
from tribal courts would be rec
ognized by state medical institu
tions for the care and treatment
of Indians with contagious diseas
es. And now. as a pilot plan, q
reeeptionist is employed at the
local hospital from 5 in the after
noon until / o'clock in the morn
ing. This was suggested by the
tribe as a means Of facilitating
the handling OF emergency pa
tients. The next step. in my opin
ion. is the employment Of a full
time hospital administrator. be
lieve the presence of a trained
administrator would free one o.
the doctors from much of the
desk work which must be done
in an institution Of this size anC
would result in improved serv
ice TO the community, but als'
in a savings of funds
And Of course the elections arr
more in the news this week thar
eyer before. Candidates for IA