Alaska News

Efforts to stamp out heroin and other drugs dominate AFN resolutions

Fears that heroin, meth, Spice and other drugs are flooding into rural Alaska has prompted local efforts to staunch the trafficking, and dominated discussions at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention that wrapped after three days on Saturday.

The drug abuse has reached "epidemic" levels in the Dillingham region and elsewhere, officials said, but they added that there are no solid numbers on use.

"It's all anecdotal," said Ralph Andersen, chief executive of the Bristol Bay Native Association. "But we see people who are messed up. In villages it's easy to know when people are normal and when they're not."

The uncertainty prompted the Southwest organization to submit two of the numerous resolutions addressing drug abuse as the state's largest Native organization approved dozens of measures to set its political agenda for the year.

Other big resolutions that passed included efforts to secure a greater role for tribes in managing subsistence animals, such as salmon along the Yukon River, and a call that the federal government properly clean up old, toxic military sites.

"It's cancer causing," said P.J. Simon, the first chief of the Allakaket tribe, referring to a U.S. Air Force communications site called Indian Mountain.

He said it's oozing pollution into a river in the Interior region. "The chemicals are bad for the environment and our traditional hunting grounds."

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Delbert Pungowiyi of Savoonga said a military cleanup of Cold War-era radar and antenna sites on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea has not been done properly.

"I would like to argue that they have not done an adequate cleanup," he said, adding that PCB levels measured in residents are "off the charts."

Numerous other resolutions also passed, including one seeking tribal representation on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. But it was measures dealing with drug abuse that attracted much of the attention. Some urged the state and federal government to pay for research addressing the scope of the problem and drug treatment centers statewide, including in rural areas.

Three of the six resolutions submitted by the Elders and Youth Conference, held earlier in the week, also dealt with drug and alcohol abuse. The resolutions passed.

"It's simply shocking to see from our elders and youth the concerns about substance abuse and the cry that something be done about it," said Greg Razo, a member of the AFN board.

Efforts to combat some of the drug abuse were discussed at a panel Thursday, with community leaders in places such as Dillingham and Sand Point saying they had organized events to educate youth and residents about the dangers of drugs.

Emma Wassillie with the Bristol Bay Native Association said heroin and other opiates are reaching the village of Togiak in Southwest Alaska by skiff and plane.

"We're trying to figure out how to stop it," she said.

Alex DeMarban

Alex DeMarban is a longtime Alaska journalist who covers business, the oil and gas industries and general assignments. Reach him at 907-257-4317 or alex@adn.com.

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