WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke traveled to Washington State where he held two meetings, one with the Spokane Tribal Business Council and another with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. These meetings focused on the ongoing opioid epidemic and how the Department of the Interior can assist with tribal efforts. On Monday, President Trump announced the latest steps in the administration's push to end the crisis, including launching CrisisNextDoor.gov and Opioids.gov. Earlier this week, Secretary Zinke met with tribal leaders in Arizona and Wisconsin and tomorrow Zinke will meet with the Lummi Tribe.
“This morning’s meetings and discussions with Spokane Tribe and the Colville Tribes were positive and productive,” said Secretary Zinke. “While the opioid crisis affects every community in America, more often than not, tribal communities are disproportionately affected. The President and I have prioritized combating the epidemic through education, treatment, enforcement, and of course support. We are looking at how Interior can best support tribal law enforcement in cracking down on drug dealers through a joint task force and how to best support community-based treatment. We strongly believe the best holistic approach will be at the community and tribal level, and we are looking at ways to create programs that engage the women in the tribes because women are the life-givers and hold special places in the community.”
This morning’s meeting with the Spokane Tribe began with a welcome and a blessing by the Wellpinit School Drum group at the Immersion School. After introductions, the Secretary and Tribal leadership discussed a number of other priorities including issues related to the Grand Coulee Dam and the Rural Broadband Initiative. Tribal leadership and the Secretary then discussed the opioid epidemic and the challenges it has created in their community. Finally, the group discussed incarceration challenges.
The Secretary met with the Colville Tribes later in the day. The meeting began with a traditional welcome ceremony and lunch with the Business Council. In addition to the opioid crisis, the discussion touched on forest management, wildfire restoration, and the proposed Department of the Interior reorganization.
Today and tomorrow's meetings cap off a week of essential meetings with Tribal leaders and members.
On Monday, Secretary Zinke held an inter-tribal round table in Phoenix, Arizona, with leadership from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation, Gila River Indian Community, and the Ak-Chin Indian Community.
On Tuesday, Secretary Zinke met with the Oneida Nation (WI) leadership in regards to the national opioid crisis. The tribe identified the lack of access to local rehabilitation and counselors as the largest impediment to treatment and was heartened to see the President and the Secretary committed to addressing the stigma that sticks with those suffering with addiction. The meeting ended with a visit to the opioid epidemic memorial, pictured on the Secretary’s Twitter account.
Source: Department of Interior
