Indigenous Health Fair brings dancers and resources to armory – Park Rapids Enterprise

Report on the Indigenous and Community Health Fair’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

On Tuesday, October 21, the Indigenous and Community Health Fair was held at the Park Rapids Armory and Events Center. The event, sponsored by Youth Emergency Shelter and Supports (YESS) and Essentia Health, featured approximately 36 resource booths and was attended by students from multiple schools. This report analyzes the event’s activities and their direct contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Alignment with Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

The fair directly addressed SDG 3 by providing access to critical health information and services for the community.

• Access to Healthcare Services: Booths offered resources for mental health and social work, promoting holistic well-being.
• Preventive Health Measures: In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Essentia Health’s radiology department assisted attendees with mammogram registration, contributing to the early detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases (Target 3.4).
• Addressing Violence: The provision of resource pamphlets on domestic violence supports efforts to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.

Contributions to Quality Education and Cultural Preservation (SDG 4 & SDG 11)

The event served as an educational platform, promoting lifelong learning opportunities and safeguarding cultural heritage.

1. Educational Outreach: The attendance of students on field trips provided an inclusive and equitable quality education outside the traditional classroom setting (Target 4.7). Information on tribal colleges was also available, promoting access to tertiary education (Target 4.3).
2. Cultural Heritage Promotion: The fair made a significant effort to safeguard and promote Indigenous cultural heritage (Target 11.4). This was achieved through:
   • Performances by the Northland Community Schools Drum and Dance Troupe, representing the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
   • A demonstration of traditional Indigenous beading by an educator from the Giiwedinong Treaty Rights & Culture Museum, preserving and transmitting cultural art forms.

Addressing Inequalities and Advocating for Justice (SDG 5, SDG 10 & SDG 16)

A key focus of the fair was raising awareness of systemic issues disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities, aligning with goals centered on equality and justice.

• Gender Equality (SDG 5): A booth run by the White Earth Nation’s historic preservation department focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), a crisis that predominantly affects Indigenous women and girls. This initiative works to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls (Target 5.2).
• Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10): By focusing on Indigenous health and social issues, the event aimed to empower and promote the social inclusion of a marginalized group (Target 10.2). The MMIP awareness campaign highlighted disparities in official data and investigative processes, advocating for the equal inclusion of all victims.
• Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16): The MMIP booth directly addressed the need for effective, accountable, and transparent institutions by raising awareness of shortcomings in official investigations and advocating for justice for victims and their families (Target 16.6).

Fostering Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The success of the health fair was a direct result of a multi-stakeholder partnership, demonstrating the core principle of SDG 17.

• Collaborative Framework: The event was a joint effort between healthcare providers (Essentia Health), community support organizations (YESS), educational institutions (Northland Community Schools), and tribal nations (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Nation).
• Strengthening Implementation: This public, public-private, and civil society partnership is a model for mobilizing and sharing knowledge and resources to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in local communities (Target 17.17).

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article’s central theme is an “Indigenous and Community Health Fair,” which directly addresses the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. The event provided access to various health resources, including mental health services and breast cancer screenings.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The event incorporated educational and cultural components. The presence of a tribal college booth and demonstrations of Indigenous arts like beading by an educator from the Giiwedinong Treaty Rights & Culture Museum connect to promoting lifelong learning and cultural education.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article highlights efforts to raise awareness for “missing and murdered Indigenous people,” a crisis that disproportionately affects women and girls. It also mentions the availability of resources for domestic violence, directly targeting the elimination of violence against women.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The fair specifically targets the health needs of the Indigenous community, a group that often faces systemic inequalities in access to healthcare and other resources. By bringing these services and information directly to the community, the event aims to reduce these disparities.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people, and the statement that some are “not included on official federal lists” and that there is a “lack with investigations,” points directly to failures in justice and institutional accountability. The awareness campaign described in the article is a call for stronger institutions and equal access to justice.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The event is a collaborative effort, sponsored by Youth Emergency Shelter and Supports (YESS) and Essentia Health, and involving numerous other organizations like the White Earth Nation and local schools, which are hosting the 36 resource booths. This multi-stakeholder partnership is a key aspect of achieving the SDGs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health.

   The article mentions that in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, a radiology department was “helping people sign up for mammograms.” This is a direct preventative action against a non-communicable disease. The inclusion of “mental health” booths also aligns with the second part of this target.

2. Target 4.7: Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including appreciation of cultural diversity.

   The fair featured performances by the Northland Community Schools Drum and Dance Troupe and demonstrations of Indigenous beading. These activities promote and preserve the culture of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and White Earth Nation, contributing to an appreciation of cultural diversity as outlined in this target.

3. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

   The booth raising awareness for “missing and murdered Indigenous people” and providing “resources for issues such as domestic violence” directly addresses the goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, who are the primary victims of these specific issues within the Indigenous community.

4. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of race, ethnicity, origin…

   The entire health fair is an initiative to promote the social inclusion of the Indigenous community by providing tailored and accessible health, cultural, and social work resources, thereby empowering its members.

5. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

   The focus on “missing and murdered Indigenous people” is a direct effort to address and reduce a specific form of violence and its related death rate within a vulnerable community.

6. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all.

   The article notes the concern that official federal lists of missing persons are incomplete and that investigations are lacking. The effort to raise “awareness for how this process works and what we lack with investigations” is a call to reform the justice system to ensure it serves Indigenous people equally.

7. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

   The event itself is a model of this target. It was sponsored by Essentia Health (private sector) and YESS (civil society/non-profit) and included participation from tribal governments (White Earth Nation), schools, and museums, demonstrating a multi-stakeholder partnership for community well-being.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 3.4:

  An implied indicator is the number of people who signed up for mammograms at the event. This provides a direct, quantifiable measure of the reach of cancer prevention efforts.

• Indicator for Target 5.2 / 16.1:

  The article mentions “rows and rows of names of missing members.” This list serves as a tragic, informal indicator. A formal indicator implied by the article is the need for an accurate and comprehensive count of missing and murdered Indigenous people, contrasting the community’s data with “official federal lists.”

• Indicator for Target 16.3:

  An implied indicator is the discrepancy between community-held data on missing persons and official law enforcement data. Reducing this discrepancy would indicate progress towards more just and responsive institutions.

• Indicator for Target 17.17:

  A directly mentioned indicator is the number of participating organizations. The article states there were “about 36 resource booths,” which quantifies the scale of the partnership created for the event.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary Table

Source: parkrapidsenterprise.com