Youth on the Rocky Boy's Reservation now have a new hub to learn, play and even receive health care. The effort began five years ago, when Rocky Boy Health Center, located near Box Elder, asked residents what they’d like to see more of in their community.
Health Center CEO Joel Rosette says the answers spurred a project aimed at providing kids and teens a safe space to gather.
“The things that our community was asking [for], especially our youth – safe places, safe places to go to build community, to gather as community – those things were important to them to have that. And then their culture, their language, their history, all of those were important to them,” he said. “So those were reassuring, but it also exposed the gap of things we didn't have."
The Good Life Lodge, or Miyo Pimâtisiwinkamik in Cree, seeks to fill that gap. Doors to the 30,000-square-foot facility opened in late-March.
The center provides services for kids, including education programs, after school activities and cultural events. It also serves as a place to receive basic health care, like dental screenings and maternal health support.
Rosette says it demonstrates an investment in their community’s future.
“This lodge we built is going to build our community even stronger, and our youth,” he said.
The Good Life Lodge will serve at least 1,000 kids a year.
