Native Americans Face Deadly Drug Crisis

WATCH – HEALING FROM THE TRIBE –

Sept. 23, 2021 – “Many native families are suffering from generational abuse, eroding traditional values and destabilizing families” across the country, according to the National Congress of American Indians’ website. “Inflated rates of substance abuse plague tribal communities.”

In June, Jazz became the cultural specialist at the treatment center in Bismarck, about a two-hour drive southeast of the reservation. He brought knowledge of his culture, coupled with his experience going through 12-step addiction treatment.

“When we do the right thing, our spirit will come back to us,” he said. “You get your strength back.

“I felt something greater than myself guiding me, an internal coach that I had been missing for a while.” Addiction specialists and other health officials have recommended addressing patients’ cultural histories and experiences in treatment for decades.

Yet, it’s not incorporated consistently across the country, said Dr. Nzinga Harrison, chief medical officer and co-founder of Eleanor Health, which operates outpatient addiction treatment in several states.

“We’re slowing marching in that direction,” said the physician who has been practicing for two decades and is based in Atlanta. “There’s been a lack of appreciation for how important it is…