Anti-meth effort targets tribes

[Okwes]

Anti-meth effort targets tribes

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2006/12/02/news/regional/50c\
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<http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2006/12/02/news/regional/50\
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[oas:casperstartribune.net/news/regional:Middle1]
WASHINGTON -- Several government agencies will pay for a public
awareness campaign aimed at curbing methamphetamine use on Indian
reservations, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced this week.

Kempthorne said the agencies -- including the Interior Department, the
Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and
Human Services -- will set aside $300,000 for media campaigns, including
radio and print ads, and other educational tools.

"By creating an awareness of this lethal drug and educating people about
its devastating effects, especially in Indian Country, we can prevent
people from trying it even once," Kempthorne said at a news conference.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the National Congress of
American Indians are also participating in the effort.

Kempthorne said the campaign will consult Indian leaders and community
members in researching and creating the ads, and they hope to get the
anti-meth message out "in a way that captures the imagination."

"The well-being of Indian communities continues to hang in the balance,"
said Kempthorne, who is also the former governor of Idaho.

Methamphetamine use has dramatically increased in Indian Country in
recent years and outpaced use in non-Indian communities. Carole
Lankford, vice chairwoman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
in Montana, said at the news conference that more than 35 meth-affected
children have been placed in her tribes' foster care system in the past
four years.

She said one baby in her community was recently born dead with six drugs
found in her system.

"When something like this happens, it hurts. It hurts so bad," she said.

Lankford added that one of her children is a recovering meth abuser.

"The money at home on the ground is what's going to make the
difference," she said.

Kempthorne said the government is working on the meth problem, and
stressed he is dedicated to helping Indian country.

"We're not there yet," he said.

South Dakota's two senators hailed the new anti-meth campaign Thursday.
Republican Sen. John Thune called the announcement "welcome news that
will further the campaign's important work to prevent children in Indian
Country from falling victim to this dangerous drug."

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson said he will work to make sure Congress
continues the funding.

"Education is among the most effective tools in the fight against meth,"
he said.

Ivan Posey, chairman of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Wyoming, agreed.

"We see the effects of it, but we need to become more educated about the
early signs of use," he said.

[Okwes]

Anti-meth campaign in Indian Country announced
Friday, December 1, 2006

__http://indianz.http://inhttp://indiahttp_
(http://indianz.com/News/2006/017176.asp_)
(_http://indianz.http://inhttp://indiahtt_
(http://indianz.com/News/2006/017176.asp) )

Working with tribes and anti-drug experts, the federal government will
invest $300,000 in a public education campaign aimed at reducing
methamphetamine
use in Indian Country.
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., Interior Secretary Dirk
Kempthorne announced the initiative on National Methamphetamine Awareness
Day. "The
well being of Indian Country hangs in the balance," the former governor of
Idaho said.
Joining Kempthorne at the National Press Club was Carole Lankford, the vice
chairwoman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana. Her
family has been directly affected by meth, a drug that is contributing to
more
and child welfare cases on the Flathead Reservation.
"Just recently, a baby in my community was born dead with six different
drugs in its system," Lankford said. "When something like this happens, it
hurts.
It hurts so bad."
Jackie Johnson, the executive director of the National Congress of American
Indians, said tribes nationwide have come forward with similar stories.
"We're
targeted because of the lack of law enforcement" and the remote nature of
reservations, she said.
But Lankford and Johnson expressed hope that the public education campaign
will make inroads in the fight against meth. "The money at home, on the
ground,
is what's going to make a difference," said Lankford.
The initiative is a joint effort of NCAI, Interior, the Department of Health
and Human Services, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the
non-profit Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA). The groups will
develop
cultural-specific messages and educational materials for tribal communities.
"We're going to be up and running on this in 2007," said Steve Pasierb, the
president and CEO of the PDFA.
The project consists of three phases. In the first, NCAI's meth task force
will work with the PDFA to finalize research into the meth problem on
reservations.
In the second, NCAI and PDFA will develop anti-meth messages for public
dissemination. The final phase consists of radio, print and educational
materials
targeting reservations.
"We have never before had a campaign like this," said Johnson, who described
it as "ground-breaking.it
To carry out the effort, Interior is contributing $100,000, half of which is
coming from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and the
other half from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
HHS is contributing $50,000 and the Office of National Drug Control Policy
is contributing $150,000.
The radio and print ads will be made available in the next few months, the
groups said. Further down the line, NCAI has already identified more
projects
that could be used to warn Native youth and tribal leaders about the dangers
of meth.
Relevant Documents:
_Press Release: Coalition Announces $300,000 for Public Awareness Campaign_
(_http://indianz.http://indihttp://inhttp://indhttp://inhttp://indianz.http://
i_
(http://indianz.com/my.asp?url=http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/061130.)
html) (November 30, 2006)
Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - __http://www.ncai.http_
(http://www.ncai.org_/)
(_http://indianz.http://indihttp://inhttp://indihttp_
(http://indianz.com/my.asp?url=http://www.ncai.org/) )
Office of National Drug Control Policy -
__http://www.whitehouhttp://www.whhttp_
(http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov_/) (_http://indianz.http://indihttp://inhttp://indianz.http://indihttp_
(http://indianz.com/my.asp?url=http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/) )
Partnership for a Drug-Free America - __http://www.drugfreehttp:_
(http://www.drugfree.org_/)
(_http://indianz.http://indihttp://inhttp://indianz.http_
(http://indianz.com/my.asp?url=http://www.drugfree.org/) )
Montana Meth Project - __http://www.montanamhttp://w_
(http://www.montanameth.org_/)
(_http://indianz.http://indihttp://inhttp://indianz.http:/_
(http://indianz.com/my.asp?url=http://www.montanameth.org/) )

[blackcrowheart]

President Bush has proclaimed this National Methamphetamine Awareness
Day. Native American leaders say there`s new hope with the radio and
print campaign announced today, that`s the first of its kind. About
$300,000 from national departments and agencies is going into the
public awareness campaign, targeting meth abuse in Indian Country.

National research shows Native American communities have experienced
rates of methamphetamine abuse substantially higher than other ethnic
groups. But parents whose children used meth in the past say this
needs to change.

"As a parent, sometimes I feel like a failure because I have had a
child who has struggled with this issue and it hurt," says mother,
Carol Lankford.

The public awareness campaign will include public service
announcements that will be shown in schools.

"It is particularly devastating in Indian Country," says Secretary of
the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. "In fact, tribal leaders have
identified methamphetamine as the single most critical issue facing
Indian communities."

The cultural aspects of Indian Country will be taken into
consideration as the prevention method is created.

"The drug effects real people, real lives, real families and real
communities, says Steve Pasierb, with Partnership for a Drug-Free
America. "What we`re endeavoring to do is really bring that concept
of partnership to life."

Native American leaders say they`ve never before had a campaign like
this to do preventative work.

"This new partnership we believe will really truly save Indian
lives," says Jacqueline Johnson of the National Congress of American
Indians. "This contribution can help educate Indian country on the
deadly effects of methamphetamine to reach to those younger kids."

The departments say the campaign will be brought to life in three
phases. They say the first and most important is the research and
learning phase, which will be launched right away. The entire public
awareness campaign will roll out throughout the course of next year.

(from: KFYR - North Dakota News)

[blackcrowheart]

Indian Country cops take aim at meth 3-day training will help officers
learn fundamentals of meth investigations By BECKY SHAY
Of The Gazette Staff

By a show of hands, all the Indian Country officers at a
methamphetamine training Tuesday morning knew by name a drug dealer on
their reservation.

"They are hiding in the open," said Steve Juneau, director of training
for Lamar Associates, a law enforcement consulting firm that hosted the
training.

The three-day training in Billings will help officers learn the
fundamentals of methamphetamine investigations, including conducting
field interviews and gathering intelligence. It will also help them
provide information to drug task forces and work with prosecutors. The
officers will also go through officer safety and survival training.

The training, which is being taught by a San Diego deputy sheriff, will
set a foundation for the participants to eventually qualify as experts
in court. About 15 people are taking the course. They are from the
Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Blackfeet police departments and the Bureau
of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, Blaine County Sheriff's
Office and the Safe Trails Task Force.

Limited number of officers

Juneau, who was a tribal and federal law enforcement officer before
going to work for Lamar, said the limited number of officers in Indian
Country means they have to work hard.

"You know and I know that it's pretty much just us out there," Juneau
said. "We have to use all of our resources."

Matthew Pryor, special agent in charge of the BIA Office of Justice
Services, which oversees BIA law enforcement in Montana, said the
training will help officers align with drug task forces. Street
information is crucial to drug investigations, Pryor said, and the
training will help patrol officers know what to look for and ask about.

Last August, six agencies signed an agreement to work together on the
Crow/Northern Cheyenne Safe Trails Task Force. The task force is taking
shape and will work a variety of investigations, in addition to
providing prevention and education programs.

The task force is a partnership among the two tribes, the FBI, the BIA
Office of Justice Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the
Colstrip Police Department. Each agency has a spot on the executive
board that oversees the task force.

Methamphetamine use is more pervasive among American Indians than other
ethnic groups. According to a federal study, 1.7 percent of American
Indians had used meth in the past year, compared to .7 percent of
whites.

'Epidemic level'

April Flores, coordinator of the Meth Free Crow Nation program, said she
sees the meth problem on the Crow Reservation as "escalated to an
epidemic level." Flores is one of the tribal contacts suggested as a
resource for the officers in the training.

"As you go through the towns, almost every other, if not every other,
house is affected," Flores said. "Whether they are using or dealing, in
some way they are impacting our communities."

Everyone has to be educated, she said, for government officials and the
public to be prepared to fight meth.

"It's gotten to an area that we can't close our eyes or look the other
way," Flores said. "Training is essential in order to understand what
they are dealing with."

[blackcrowheart]

Bills target reservation meth By BRODIE FARQUHAR
Star-Tribune correspondent Wednesday, January 31, 2007
casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/01/31/news/wyoming/56c36e40c6\
b6b44787257271002676e2.txt
<http://casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/01/31/news/wyoming/56c36e40c\
6b6b44787257271002676e2.txt> The emerging methamphetamine
crisis on American Indian reservations has generated four congressional
bills, including one sponsored by Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo.

Together with Montana’s Denny Rehberg and other bipartisan
supporters, Cubin is sponsoring HR 405, to “make funding for
family-based treatment available to rural and other underserved areas
(like reservations) hardest hit by meth.”

Cubin’s bill has provisions related to the meth crisis on
reservations, requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to
report on the number of pregnant and parenting women in need of
treatment for meth addiction, with the data compiled by tribe and state.

The bill would amend the Public Health Services Act and would support
local programs providing counseling, medical treatment, parenting
training, education and legal services to mothers (and their children)
who are recovering from meth addiction. “As a state with the
fifth-highest per capita rate in the nation of people seeking treatment
for meth, it’s clear that Wyoming has a critical lack of
treatment options,” said Cubin, who serves on the House Meth
Caucus, a coalition of members dedicated to fighting meth.

Cubin’s bill would provide $70 million annually (2008-2012) to
fund comprehensive, family-based treatment programs for pregnant and
parenting women; prioritize rural areas with high rates of addiction;
and provide $40 million to $50 million in grants for non-violent
offender treatment programs, as an alternative to jail or prison.

Crisis in Indian Country

The meth problem is acutely felt on the Wind River Indian Reservation,
home to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes.

Last April, Eastern Shoshone Business Council Chairman Ivan Posey
testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee noting that meth:

* Plays a large role in 65 percent of child neglect and placement of
children in foster care.

* Is available to students of all ages, on or off the reservation.

* Results in more vehicle accidents, more domestic violence incidents
and longer hospital stays for those reasons, pushing the reservation
health system to the breaking point.

* Contributed to four homicides, 284 drug misdemeanors and 124 child
abuse cases in 2004.

At that same hearing, Wyoming U.S. Attorney Matt Mead testified about a
Mexican drug gang that deliberately targeted Indian reservations
(Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska) for sales and distribution of meth,
with a street value of $4.5 million to $6.8 million -- capturing
customers by giving away free samples.

Indian communities have the highest use rates-- more than double the use
rate of other ethnicities. Additionally, when the Bureau of Indian
Affairs surveyed tribes about law enforcement, more than 70 percent said
that meth is the drug that poses the greatest threat to their
reservation.

"Law enforcement and the courts are doing their part," Posey said. "We
need to concentrate more on prevention and treatment, especially helping
people get treatment before they wind up in court."

Other bills

There are companion House and Senate bills to amend the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to clarify that territories and
Indian tribes are eligible to receive grants for confronting the use of
methamphetamine.

Rep. Tom Udall, D-NM explained that the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic
Act of 2005 unintentionally left out tribal governments as possible
applicants for the Hot Spots and Drug-Endangered Children program grants
n something one of the bills would correct. Hot Spots provides funding
for anti-methamphetamine initiatives, while the Drug-Endangered Children
Grant Program provides comprehensive services to assist children who
live in homes where meth has been used, manufactured and sold.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has a similar bill.

Meanwhile, Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has a bill that would requires
the attorney general to report on the effects of meth on reservations.
It also reduces the threshold requirements for imposing enhanced
criminal penalties on people trafficking, manufacturing and distributing
methamphetamine.