Native American Health Symposium at Concordia

Event organizers say their panel discussion is intended to strengthen relationships with healthcare providers and educate the community about health struggles endemic to native populations.

MOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Concordia College is using their platform as an institution to help shine a light on health issues within the Native American community.

The college hosted a Native American Health Symposium from 6 to 8 P.M. on March 11 in the Knutson Campus Center.

The event featured a panel comprised of prominent Indigenous people in the community, speaking about their experiences with healthcare systems and generational struggles for personal health.

Those leaders say that natives suffer from higher rates of diseases like cancer and diabetes – and that the roots of these issues extend back well into the past.

“A lot folks wonder why, why is the Native American population struggling and having these challenges? Well, it is a long history, of what happened to our people,” explained Ricky White, CEO of First Nations Consultants. “Tonight, they’re going to have exposure to the boarding school era, which was brutal on our generation of families.”

The event also featured a catered dinner with traditional native fare, and organizers say about 50 people pre-registered to attend.