Nov. 30, 2024 – The boys, who range in age from 12 to 17, are part of a 90-day youth residential treatment program, a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 1970 to provide culturally competent addiction care to Native people. All but two of them are Native American. Most have been ordered by courts to participate in the program.
The teens represent one of the most at-risk groups in the opioid epidemic — according to a 2022 data analysis by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Native Americans aged 15-34 consistently had the highest rate of drug-overdose deaths in 2020 and 2021.
Research points to culture as a solution. A 2022 study of 288 teenagers and young adults on a reservation in eastern Montana showed that Native youth who are connected to their tribal identity and engage in traditional practices are less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs. Across Indian Country, tribal communities and organizations like NARA NW are implementing culture-focused therapies to reduce overdose deaths among their youth.
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