Is funding a roadblock to ending the opioid crisis on First Nations?
By Lethbridge Herald on July 19, 2024.
Dancers and drummers take part in a provincial funding announcement in 2020 at the Kainai Continuing Care Centre for construction of two recovery communities in southern Alberta.
Herald file photo by Ian MartensAlexandra Noad – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
With the opioid crisis spreading across Canada, but disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations, the Blood Tribe has taken measures to help combat the crisis.
According to the Alberta Opioid Response Surveillance Report published in May 2024, Indigenous people made up for 24 per cent of opioid overdose deaths.
The Blood Tribe has been tackling the opioid crisis since 2014, but in April 2023 they announced the tribe was in a state of emergency due to opioid deaths.
One concern for the Blood Tribe is adequate funding.
Leslie Wells, opioid response coordinator for the Blood Tribe, says the Blood Tribe is desperately underfunded for their services.
“The government should be able to help in the ways of economics, like, for instance, the treatment centres here on the reserves, they’re so underpaid and we should be at par with all of treatment centres, all of their addictions counsellors, the way they get paid, the way AHS gets paid, we should be at par with everything. We should be equal with what we’re getting to what others are getting,” said Wells.
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada, says a significant amount of funding has been provided to Alberta Indigenous First Nations to help with their land-based healing efforts.
“In 2023-2024, the investments total for Alberta overall for First Nations and specifically to mental wellness, land-based healing treatment centres and of course substance abuse and crisis response is almost $30 million for one year,” said Hajdu.
Hajdu added the First Nations have a lot of autonomy when it comes to rate of pay.
“First Nations have a lot of autonomy in the rate of pay that they support different professionals, depending on the different responsibilities of the community,” said Hajdu.
Out of the seven regional treatment centres, two are located on the Blood Reserve. One is designed for adults and the other is for youth. While these services are needed there is speculation if they are enough to help people on the reserve stay clean.
Travis Coleman, Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Services of the Blood reserve, says he sees a lot of relapses on the Reserve.
“More funding would definitely get more people in the right avenues. It’s a tough it’s kind of a logjam in times when they go to rehab and you all come out and then they kind of get back into the same situation. What would be nice is to have more places for them to go or, recovery communities,” said Coleman.
Hadju was critical of the Conservative opposition’s approach to the opioid crisis, saying it creates shame and prevents people from talking about their issues and getting the help they need.
“It drives the behaviour underground. It prevents people from talking about wanting to recover. So I look at, for example, Lethbridge’s MP Rachel Thomas, who has been very derivative of a recovery approach that is inclusive of harm reduction,” said Hadju.
Hadju added Thomas should be demanding support for the First Nations in her riding.
“Why isn’t a person like Rachael Thomas, the Member of Parliament in Lethbridge, standing in the House of Commons demanding better support for healing for First Nations. Why isn’t she asking questions about First Nations members and her riding? Alberta has a high density of Indigenous people who have contributed tremendously to not just the land but to this country,” said Hajdu.
In response, Thomas told The Herald in a statement Thursday that “while Indigenous communities in southern Alberta and across Canada struggle, it is Trudeau’s Liberal government that has been in power for nine years making things worse with their disastrous policies. It is preposterous that a Liberal minister is blaming others for not fighting against Trudeau’s policies hard enough.
“A common sense Conservative government will bring home affordability for all Canadians and remove big bossy Ottawa bureaucracy to allow First Nations to take back control of their lives and the resource money that is rightfully theirs,” the Lethbridge MP added.
While the history of Canada’s treatment towards Indigenous people is dark, Hajdu believes the key to healing is to make it a place where everyone feels like they belong.
“Whether we’re First Nations or not, the country is much stronger when everyone feels like they belong and that they have a place in it and that they have value in it.”
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That’s disgusting! A whole new low for spam in the comments section.
Agree. Doesn’t anyone moderate this site? George
If the employees in Indigenous treatment centers have the same healthcare training as those at other treatment centers, they should be on the same pay scale, period. They should be at par.
Do they have the same training? Many have had to train for years and in some cases are paying back the debts they incurred in receiving their credentials and need a high enough wage to repay student loans as well as living costs.
If they have the proper credentials they should be at par!
It’s an appropriate question from Minister Hadju, Rachel Thomas MP. So, instead of deflecting and pointing fingers, why are you not performing your duties in the House of Commons on behalf of the Indigenous peoples in your riding? Why are you not consulting with First Nations members in your riding to ask them how you could assist in securing appropriate funding to provide the necessary funding to tackle this crisis on the First Nations reserves in your riding? And, WTH do you mean by “Whether we’re First Nations or not…” These are the sentiments of white privilege. Shame! Shame! Shame!