Montreal Lake Cree Nation increasing both treatment and security in battle against crystal meth

A central Saskatchewan Cree nation is taking a multi-pronged approach to dealing with a crystal meth issue in its communities.

The Montreal Lake Cree Nation has high levels of meth use, according to Lionel Bird, the Cree Nation's director for child and family services. 

In order to combat meth use, the community is beefing up security and providing options for community members seeking help. 

In October last year, the band announced it would be opening a land-based crystal meth treatment facility. Now, the band is opening a crystal meth detox facility on reserve. 

While there is a detox facility in Prince Albert, roughly 100 kilometres south of Montreal Lake, Bird said band members have expressed concerns about the length of stays there. 

He said the Cree Nation's newest facility has eight beds and allows people to stay for 14 days, before transferring to the land-based treatment facility for six months of further help. 

"Everybody's impacted. There's not one of us who isn't impacted by having one of our relatives that is on crystal meth," Bird said.

He said it isn't unusual to hear of suicide attempts on a weekly basis. 

Bird said those attending the new detox facility can expect to undergo a series of tests to determine their physical and mental condition. From there, patients are monitored to ensure they aren't going through serious withdrawal symptoms. 

Bird said the land-based crystal meth treatment facility and the crystal meth detox facility will begin taking patients in on Wednesday. The band is considering opening up treatment for other drugs and alcohol but right now both will focus solely on crystal meth.

He said the band has researched the topic of crystal meth addiction extensively and has found the best way to treat the drug is through 18 months of comprehensive programming. 

Bird said the band is also looking at the possibility of opening up a long-term facility in a remote location where patients would be kept clean from the drug for six months after attending both the detox facility and the land-based treatment facility.

"[There], they learn how to look after themselves, how to feed themselves, how to clothe themselves, all the different things," Bird said. 

He said due to the band's situation, with roughly 60 per cent of its population addicted to the drug, the facilities will only be available for band members to use. 

Security measures stepped up

Bird said gang members are involved in the drug trade on reserve, and in some cases young people are being asked to sell the drug in the community. 

"Nobody feels safe," Bird said. "We've had a couple of shootings already here on reserve as a result of gang wars and non-payment issues where they come and collect. It's no longer just breaking bones; it's actually just shooting up the house."

He said the band has hired its own security team who are blocking the reserve roads on days where payments are distributed to community members. 

He said suspicious vehicles or individuals are reported. 

"So far a whole whack of weapons have been seized," Bird said. "A high amount of drugs were seized and these were all our local response teams that have stepped up and prevented this kind of stuff from coming into the community." 

Bird said the community also has a crisis response team who attend calls with people who are trying to hurt themselves or others. Those people try to defuse the situation at hand and try to find therapy services and housing opportunities for the people involved in the situations.

He said the band is in conversation with the federal government, seeking an additional five years of funding dollars to keep the projects alive. 

Solutions creating job opportunities

Bird said on top of the security and crisis response team positions that have been created, the detox facility and the land-based treatment facility are also staffed almost entirely by band members.

Bird said the band advertised for positions at both the treatment centre and detox facility nationally, but many of the qualified candidates came right from Montreal Lake.

"I'd say about 90 per cent of the people that are going to be working in these facilities are local people and or First Nations from other areas."