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If we care about our Indigenous communities, we have to start caring about food sovereignty. Our communities’ health is in crisis. According to new research, “Over 50% of Indigenous people worldwide over the age of 35 have type 2 diabetes. Indigenous peoples suffer from poorer health, are more likely to experience disability and reduced quality of life and ultimately die younger than their non-indigenous counterparts (Health | United Nations for Indigenous Peoples). Students my age today don’t eat healthy. This could be because they don’t have the money, the knowledge to eat healthy or the skills to cook. According to the National Indian Counci...
On Nov. 10, the Lake County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing to consider adopting the newly revised Lakeshore Protection Regulations (LPRs). As citizens commented, it became clear that there appeared to be a lack of understanding of the LPRs, its purpose, how it came about and what it meant for l...
In our polarized and fragmented times, we appear to have less and less in common. Yet, wherever we live, a good number of universal experiences can bring joy to our lives. Take, for example, a good sunset. How magical is the array of vivid colors splayed across the evening sky as the sun makes its daily desc...
The Alp connection - a very unique relationship between Montana and Switzerland - persists today. Relationships provide meaning and a way to interpret the world around us. Similarities and differences can introduce people to something new. For example, a hot dog and a hamburger have similarities, but also di...
What a wonderful fall we have had. It looks like winter is going to try to settle in, which is the perfect time to curl up with your favorite cozy blanket, a warm cup of something yummy and a good book. Did you know that we add, on average, 100 books to our collection each month? I’m sure we have somet...
We are a culture often consumed with the material world. We assess value based on our net worth, which is often decreased by net waste. Time spent amassing wealth is valuable; time spent wasting time is just that. And that could very well lead to a squandered life. I beg to differ. Sometimes the bes...
Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves. The only way they could do this is by not voting. —Franklin D. Roosevelt Since midterm elections rarely have the pizazz of a presidential contest, a lot of eligible citizens don’t ...
Food brings people together. Maybe that’s why I’ve been baking so much lately. We all watch the news and face frustrations and incomprehension about the decisions being made by people we disagree with. We might even start to see neighbors as others, enemies. These slippery thoughts and f...
As I was getting ready for work this morning, and enjoying the usual cup of coffee, a television ad started screaming at me telling me how awful my excellent colleague James Brown is as a Public Service Commissioner and as a Montana Supreme Court candidate, all while extolling the alleged “impartiality...
I’m a fourth-generation Montanan who grew up in Dillon, small business owner, private practice attorney and public servant. My entire 15-plus year legal career has been dedicated to protecting the legal rights of Montanans and upholding the rule of law. I have primarily represented Montana’s farm...
