Approximately 140 community members participated in a testing event that celebrated National Native American HIV Awareness Day yesterday at the Oyate Center in Rapid City’s Lakota Homes neighborhood.
“The community really shows up for these events and each year that we have held an event on this date the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Tipi Means, Health Educator for GPTEC and primary organizer who has planned the event for the past 3-years.
Aimed at combating South Dakota’s high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and syphilis, the event, organized by the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center in collaboration with its parent organization the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the South Dakota Department of Health contributed the event that coincided with National Native American HIV Awareness Day.
Initially starting slowly, the event quickly gained momentum after a community member enthusiastically remarked, “It is good that you all are coming into the community and doing this. I am going to call all my relatives to come down here.” Attendance surged following this grassroots endorsement, and by day’s end, testing capacity was reached.
Participants were provided with $30 gift cards from the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center, along with meals, snacks, and commemorative t-shirts from the Health Board. The actual tests utilized were supplied by the Oyate Health Center’s Public Health Nursing team with support from its urgent care.
Emily Good Weasel from the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center highlighted the significance of this joint effort, saying, “This was a unique moment where many of our public health partners came together to provide testing, treatment, and education to our community members. The turnout was awesome, and it’s reassuring to know our messaging is reaching those who need it most.”
Achieving this collaboration was not without challenges, including staffing shortages, differing roles, and the absence of a central organizer. The Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board successfully mediated these issues, paving the way for this landmark collaboration.
The event is part of several years of effort from the Health Board to bring unite all these entities so that resources can be pulled and to cut the red tape that has made treatments less accessible.
Looking ahead, the IHS Rapid Deployment teams will sustain their statewide testing efforts, and the Health Board and Epidemiology Center plan ongoing events and incentives to ensure continued community participation.
