‘These are my people’: Bearspaw chief appeals to ISC amid Nation’s opioid crisis

 By Jessica Lee  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Twenty-eight of Bearspaw First Nation’s roughly 2,000 members died primarily of opioid poisoning in 2022, according to Chief Darcy Dixon. In a letter to Indigenous Service Canada (ISC) last month urging better methods of working together with ISC and Health Canada, the chief states the Nation is on track to exceed that number this year with 16 related deaths from April to June, at an average age of 44 years old. “These are my people, most of them young who will never have the opportunity to live their lives,” wrote Dixon. “We are related to all of them. This is clearly a health and safety issue for ISC Alberta Region.” The letter was directed to the attention of Alberta regional director Jamie Brown,…

This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription – Corporate, Print Subscription Only, and Canada Print and Online members only.
Register
Already a member? Log in here

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.