A new report from the Centers for Disease Control said that in 2020, overdose death rates (number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people) increased 44 percent for Black people and 39 percent for American Indian and Alaska Native people compared with 2019. The recent increases in deaths were largely driven by fentanyl according to the report.
The problems with overdoses and drug addiction in Minnesota’s Native American community are significant, but the problems run much deeper than just addiction according to president and CEO of the American Indian Community Development Corporation, Mike Goze.
Goze, speaking to WCCO’s Susie Jones, says there is a large homeless population within their community. And a lot of them are addicted to opioids, fentanyl, or methamphetamines. He says part of the answer involves housing.
“It doesn't surprise me at all. We've been dealing with it for quite a long time,” says Goze. “To provide housing, supportive housing in most cases, to help them. Again, our goal is to get them off of the drugs.”
That support includes a number of resources to help people that are dealing with addiction.
“There we have case managers, we work with healthcare for Hennepin County Health for the Homeless, and we work with a number of treatment programs and medical facilities that offer Suboxone as an opportunity. Methadone is another one that's used as far as to get people off of the street drug and to provide a safer level of maintenance for a person that is suffering from addiction,” Goze explains.
Addiction also leads to a number of other crimes as well, with addicts using any means necessary to get high says Goze.
“What we're seeing is people that sell themselves, both men and women,” Goze tells WCCO’s Susie Jones. “So sex trafficking, robbery, theft, and carjacking. All the things that we see on the street, all lead to people finding resources to continue their addiction.”
The situation is made even more complicated and dire when you consider the present conditions in parts of the city with drug dealers.
“Then the drug dealers, with all the money they get, are getting more guns, faster cars and more drugs,” Goze said. “It's really hard because at the present time, in the city of Minneapolis, we have, a reduced police force. And so there's not a lot of opportunity for police involvement in much of the activity that we see on a regular basis. And it's very disheartening.”
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Often children end up as the ones who suffer the most. Goze recalled a story of his daughter's sister-in-law, who is an addict, and recently left her newborn baby at the hospital without signing the birth certificate.
“The child was born with withdrawals, and so the child still suffers,” says Goze. “Its 40 days old, now, 43 days old, still suffers some withdrawals, and that probably will go on for six months. And just found out the other day that the child tested positive for syphilis”
The mother remains on the street trafficking herself.
“So how many people are getting exposed to syphilis? When we look at nationally, in Minnesota, we have the highest rates of HIV in Indian country, and I think syphilis is up there too,” Goze said.
He is now looking at acting as the addicted baby's grandfather.
“I don't think that is something that child should have to go through.”
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