Congressman Greg Gianforte recognized Betty Cooper of Browning with his Spirit of Montana commendation.
Cooper was honored for her dedication to family, advocacy for mental health services, and leadership in the Indian community.
Cooper is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and was named Montana’s 2019 Mother of the Year by American Mothers, a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness about issues that impact mothers and children.
Cooper is a noted advocate for family and mental health services as well as substance abuse treatment and prevention programs. She helped establish the Pikuni Healing Center in Starr School.
Gianforte’s Spirit of Montana is a weekly recognition of Montanans for their accomplishments, dedication, or service.
You can nominate a Montanan for the Spirit of Montana award by contacting Gianforte’s office at 202-225-3211 or by email at https://gianforte.house.gov/contact/email.
Gianforte’s statement about Betty Cooper in the Congressional Record is as follows:
Madam Speaker, with Mother’s Day around the corner, I rise today to honor Betty Cooper of Browning for her advocacy for families and mental health services as well as for being named Montana’s 2019 Mother of the Year by American Mothers.
Betty Cooper is the mother of five, a grandmother, and an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe. She was born and raised in Browning. In 1963, Betty moved to the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and children. There, she became involved in substance abuse prevention and treatment in the Indian community. She helped establish the American Indian Family Healing Center in Oakland, CA, and served as director for a decade.
Returning home to Montana, she helped establish the Pikuni Family Healing Center in Starr School.
Betty was among over two dozen prominent Native American advocates featured in Surviving in Two Worlds: Contemporary Native American Voices, a book by Lois Crozier-Hogle and Darryl Babe Wilson.
Betty has served on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and has been an advocate for individuals with mental illness.
American Mothers, a non-profit organization founded in 1935, named Betty Montana’s Mother of the Year for 2019. In her recent address at the group’s annual meeting, Betty said, “Love our children; look them in the eye; hug them close and tell them you love them. When a child knows they are loved, everything else falls in place. Each of our children is a gift to us from the Creator.”
Madam Speaker, truer words were never spoken.
Madam Speaker, for her dedication to family, advocacy for mental health services, and leadership in the Indian community, I recognize Betty Cooper for her spirit of Montana.
