Native American communities are being devastated by the fentanyl crisis, with drug overdose deaths rising 33% from 2020 to 2021, the second highest increase among ethnic groups in the U.S. according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Meanwhile, many Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities are in poor condition, with outdated equipment threatening patient care.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) highlighted the dire situation in recent Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearings. Witnesses called for expanded law enforcement, health services, and culturally-based treatment to combat the crisis. The IHS, which serves 2.8 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives, has seen its maintenance backlog more than double to $737 million in recent years.
Tribal leaders like Tony Hillaire of the Lummi Indian Business Council and Bryce Kirk of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes shared personal stories of loss and emphasized the need for federal support that respects tribal sovereignty. “We need federal agencies to be true partners with us in this effort,” said Kirk. “We don’t need bureaucrats in D.C. telling us how to solve the problem.”
See “Fentanyl strikes Native communities, as Indian Health Service stumbles” by Joe Davidson on the Washington Post website (December 15, 2023).
