One First Nation community in Ontario has officially declared a state of emergency due to an opioid crisis.
鈥淚n the last five years we鈥檝e had over 45 deaths, drug-related to the opioid crisis,鈥� Chief Veronica Smith, of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Ontario, told CTV National News. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 start dealing with the problem, then it will only get worse.鈥�
On June 26, during Chippewas of Nawash council meeting, the community declared a state of emergency as a result of the crisis鈥� overwhelming need for services and support, Smith explained.
Smith, who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose, knows first hand the toll this crisis is taking on families.
鈥淗is addiction just didn鈥檛 start over night. He had a long standing addiction that, over the years, was getting worse. And the drugs were getting worse. And the drugs are getting more addictive,鈥� she explained.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 even think he realized how addictive fentanyl was.鈥�
Smith said she pleaded for her son to get professional help, but that he eventually succumbed to his addiction.
鈥淚t was very hard,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e known here in our community, over the last number of years, that we were having an addiction problem,鈥� she said.
Throughout the spread of COVID-19, Smith says she saw her community develop the need for supports.
鈥淲e saw an increase in the need for social services, child welfare statistics went high, family violence went high. And of course the addictions also went high,鈥� she said.
鈥淪ocial isolation really played a number on the people in the community.鈥�
Part of the problem, Smith said, is convincing people to start the process of rehabilitation.
鈥淲e know it鈥檚 very hard for people to get into addiction treatment, that you usually have to go through a detox, you have to go through a medical, and then you have to [hope] there is a bed there.鈥�
Smith says her community is calling for qualified social and medical support that can extend to the whole family of those affected by addiction.
鈥淚 think first and foremost we want to bring awareness to other First Nations that we are not the only First Nations in the state of crisis,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know how to solve the problems ourselves, so we are looking for help. We need some tangible services such as treatment centres, aftercare services, peer support services. There鈥檚 a number of services that we need to help with this addiction crisis.鈥�
She added that work must extend beyond the individual affected by addiction, that the person's entire family should also have access to help.
Smith and her community believe that the addiction crisis is only a 鈥渟ymptom of a much larger problem.鈥�
鈥淭hat larger problem is colonization,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he taking away of our culture, the taking away of our lands and our identities. That鈥檚 where I believe this addiction all stems from.鈥�
A solution, she says, could come down to utilizing traditional Indigenous knowledge.
With files from CTV National News and Indigenous Circle reporter Donna Sound
鈥淲e have ways and we have medicines and ceremonies that could help our people in the healing process. I think we need to start utilizing a lot more of our own ways and our own traditional teachings and the use of our elders.鈥�
As their community gears up to handle this state of emergency, Smith knows it will be an uphill battle.
鈥淲e have so much work to do here. But I鈥檓 just glad we have the people in the community who are willing, ready, and able to help us get this work done.鈥�
