Missoula County

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Population Percentages

In Missoula County, 3.9% of the population is identified as minority (compared to 7.3% statewide). Of the minority population, 2.3% is American Indian, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% African-American, and 0.3% other. Although it is not a race category, 1.2% of the population identifies itself as of Hispanic origin. (Maternal Child Health Report 1996)

Missoula’s American Indians

Occasionally in this report we have identified specific data or concerns associated with American Indians, but effectively presenting the range of concerns or an adequate context to understand them is beyond the current scope and goals of the Measures project. Indians in Missoula are a diverse mix, with more than 20 tribes from Alaska to the Southwest represented. These tribes are culturally distinct and sometimes have little in common. Most Missoula Indians are from Montana tribes and many spend some time on reservations and some in Missoula. Although the census found 2.3% of the population to be American Indian, the Missoula Indian Center has estimated that 5–6% is more realistic. In terms of income, education, housing conditions, and employment, Indians fare worse than the average Missoulian, and this probably correlates with poorer health status. Some chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes and alcoholism are special concerns.

School Based Programs Assist Minority Students

Since 1978, MCPS has pursued federal funding (Title 9 grants of various sizes and duration) to provide additional support for minority students in Missoula County. With the fall of Vietnam in 1975, Hmong refugees began to arrive in Missoula (currently, there are 79 students enrolled in Missoula County schools). In 1990, a persecuted evangelical Christian group began to arrive from the Soviet Union; (currently, 138 Belarussian students). In recent years, some Title 7 funds and Title 9 funds have been obtained to bolster the district’s assistance to American Indian students (currently, 350 students from 35 tribes). Services include bilingual tutors, after school language classes, summer school. Starla Klevenberg is the teacher/coordinator, visiting schools providing tutoring and cultural enrichment activities, as well as conferring with parents about services, etc. Indian students generally fall into two categories: 1) those associated with students at UM, and 2) those making Missoula a permanent home and there is a wide range of educational, income and modern vs. traditional backgrounds. (Betsy Williams 542-4017)

 

 

 



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