This rink symbolizes hope for kids who find themselves in extremely hopeless circumstances. None of these children asked to be thrust into the conditions in which they live. They seldom trust strangers, or outsiders, even when assistance is offered to them. The rink we intend to build is symbolic of long-overdue change—that things are going to get better. A certain air of anticipation comes with the pending construction of this new complex; finally, something positive is going to come to the reservation. The rink’s boards will be adorned with the colorful handprints of the reservation’s children, as well as an intricate Native American mural. This will be the first hockey rink in the history of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation—or any other reservation, for that matter. This has undertaking has never been done in the history of our nation. What most children take for granted—like the access to quality sports and athletic equipment—has never been a reality for the kids of Fort Peck. Most of these children have never even held a hockey stick.
When children are able to wholeheartedly believe in themselves, their futures begin to brighten. As you are probably aware, our first project on the reservation was to restore the movie theater. It took several years, vast amounts of sweat, the nagging of aching bodies, and large expenditures of cash to complete the theater, but it was well worth it; now the children have somewhere to go away from the toxic influence of street gangs. But, how does a movie theater tie-in with our message that healthier people result in a healthier planet? Just as the hockey rink does; it gives people a shared experience, creating both strong relationships and a lasting sense of community. They are getting closer and closer to adopting regular Chiropractic there.
Obesity is becoming increasingly problematic on the reservation. There are multiple wellness centers that children have access to—all of which have fitness equipment—but, they rarely ever get any use. Some government programs even pay children to become more physically active, but even these garner little to no success. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The children simply don’t have the motivation or inspiration to get more active—they need to experience a strong paradigm shift, something that LHNC represents. Everything we do here at LHNC is imbedded with this paradigm shift. Just like the code talkers, LHNC is imbued with an extra essence…the anticipation of a miracle.