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Meth epidemic a top issue at NCAI annual conference
Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Tribal governments must enlist partners in their fight against methamphetamine, the president of the National Congress of American Indians said on Tuesday.

On the second day of NCAI's annual conference in Sacramento, California, meth and its effect on tribal communities remained high on the agenda. In addition to focusing on the topic during general assemblies, tribal leaders have held two special sessions to address a drug that has ravaged Indian and non-Indian communities alike.

"Only through partnerships can we contain and kill this battle against meth," said NCAI President Joe Garcia, who serves as governor of Ohkay Owingeh, formerly known as San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico.

NCAI has been working with tribes to help them develop their own anti-meth strategies. The organization will be expanding its reach through a new partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Garth Graham, the deputy assistant secretary for minority health, announced the first $1 million towards the new effort. The money will help the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Crow Tribe of Montana, the Navajo Nation, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska combat meth in their communities.

"HHS has made an initial investment of $1 million to address the devastating epidemic in Indian Country," said Graham. Partners include NCAI, the Association of American Indian Physicians, the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the United South and Eastern Tribes.

In a videotaped message, Admiral John O. Agwunobi, the assistant secretary for health, outlined the dangers facing American Indians and Alaska Natives who use meth. The drug contributes to higher rates of suicide, HIV infection and hepatitis, and leads to depression and other problems, he said.

Agwunobi cited studies that showed 30 percent of Native youth have experimented with meth and 1.9 percent of Native Americans over the age of 12 are current users. "This is almost three times higher than the national rate for whites and four times higher than the rate for Hispanics and Latinos," he said.

Richard Romero, the governor of Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, said meth has had a major impact on his small, remote community. "The drugs are already here," he told NCAI. "The ingredients are being manufactured every day."

Romero called on NCAI and the federal government to focus not just on prevention but on treatment. He said current policies make it hard for addicts to recover from the drug.

"We can't even find a treatment center to place a client," he said.

A day earlier, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told NCAI he is developing an initiative to address meth. "The initiative will focus both on law enforcement to crack down on the gangs and other criminals who are preying on our children and treatment for those who have been ensnared in meth's deadly web," he said.

Kempthorne didn't announce any money for the project but said he was hopeful to secure money for law enforcement, drug courts and detention facilities. "I am eager to hear your ideas as we develop this initiative," he told tribal leaders on Monday.

Charles Vaughn, the chairman of the Hualapai Tribe of Arizona, said the Bureau of Indian Affairs is hindering the fight against meth and domestic violence. He said the Office of Law Enforcement Services recently shut down the jail on the reservation, forcing the tribe to set offenders free.

"Our tribe is unable to make an impact on those issues because of policies of the Department of the Interior," Vaughn said during a question-and-answer period with Kempthorne.

NCAI continues today with an update from Ruben Barrales, the director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He is expected to face questions about the delay in the Cobell trust fund settlement.

Attendees will hear updates on health issues, suicide prevention and sacred sites. The fourth annual healthy lifestyles walk/run takes place before noon.

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org

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