A small impoverished town on an Indian reservation. A drug and alcohol epidemic. And a troupe of young people who come to the rescue. Sounds like a movie script, right?

Well, this isn't the next Hollywood drama. This is the reality of Browning, Montana, a town of about 4,000 residents on the Blackfeet Reservation snugged up against the Canadian border. Far from Beverly Hills, the Rocky Mountains rise up to the west of town, with rolling plains to the East. And there are no actors -- only the residents who call Browning their home. This part of Montana is among the lowest income areas in the state, and with poverty comes struggle. Many who live here must deal with alcoholism and drug abuse on a daily basis, whether it is themselves, a member of the family, or a close neighbor.

When I first arrived at De La Salle Blackfeet School, the home base for myself and the 30 or so other volunteers, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was volunteering as a part of Justice Outreach Project, an annual week-long mission trip sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Helena. The trip was to include both hard labor and cultural immersion -- more of the latter, I quickly learned, than the former. Our week began with introductions from local leaders, one of which was training to be an addictions counselor. As he spoke, a man entered through the back door of the gym where we were gathered and started yelling incoherently. He reeked of alcohol and I couldn't make out most of his words, but I know I heard something about giving his life to God. It was a rude awakening -- the problem is real, and it was closer than we thought. "We are a broken people," one of the locals had commented after the man was escorted out.

The next few days consisted of beautification projects at various Catholic churches and cemeteries in the area. The Blackfeet have largely incorporated Christianity into their own culture since the construction of Catholic missions at the turn of the 20th century, creating a hybrid faith that runs strong through the communities of the Reservation. For a long while, however, the cemeteries in this area had been forgotten and left to be overtaken by weeds and trash -- respect for those buried there had almost disappeared altogether. Then, eight years ago, the first Justice Outreach Project arrived in Browning and helped to change that. The Diocese has sent groups varying in size from 30 to 150 young adults every June since, for the purpose of both upkeep and education about Native life. Although the progress we accomplished on the work sites was crucial, it proved less pressing than the knowledge that was to be passed down to us.

The Blackfeet Picunny people had been severely oppressed during the times of westward expansion. Children were forced into English boarding schools and punished for speaking their native language, and entire communities were being forced from their homelands. It is a miracle that so much of the culture has survived and is now being celebrated and reintegrated into modern life on the reservation. Children are now being encouraged not only to practice Christianity but also to learn the language of their ancestors and get in touch with their Indian spirituality through ancient dance and song. My group and I were able to take part in a few of these, which are seen as being so sacred that they can only be passed down with special blessing and permission by a tribal elder. Other guests presented us with traditional beadings, drums, and clothing -- all of which were accompanied by stories of the heroism and hardship of the ancestors that possessed them. The most special ceremony for me, however, was smudging.

Smudging is the practice of using the smoke of sweetgrass, tobacco or other sacred plants to pray. It is an extremely common form of prayer on the Blackfeet Reservation, and one I consider myself honored to be able to participate in. After setting the plant on hot coals, the user pushes the smoke over their head and down their body four times using their hands before pulling it towards their heart. By intermingling their prayers with the smoke, the Blackfeet believe they are carried to heaven and received by God. With our prayers ascending skyward, the members of Justice Outreach Project had a deeper understanding of how a struggling community can thrive despite adversity.

The Blackfeet people may struggle with addiction and constant hardships, but to my surprise, they are one of the happiest groups of people that I have ever encountered. Despite being hundreds of miles from my own community, I felt utterly welcome and comfortable. Every individual I interacted with greeted me with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Sure, I was there as part of a trip to help clean up the town and learn from the Native people. But what I got from this experience was more than volunteer hours or fun facts. I now have a greater appreciation of the realities of living on the Reservation; I realized the overwhelming presence of challenges, and the even more intense sense of community and love that emanates from Browning. A broken people, maybe -- but never broken beyond repair.