Members of Muskoday First Nation are calling for urgent action to address Saskatchewan’s growing fentanyl crisis.
On Tuesday, community members and allies arrived at the Saskatchewan Legislature Building, ending an eight-day walk in honour of those who have died from addiction.
The walk began on June 9 in Muskoday, located more than 300 kilometres northwest of Regina.
Organizer Betty Prosper shared the emotional toll the overdose crisis is taking in Indigenous communities.
“With so many deaths in the community and a recent overdose yesterday, how do we try to grieve that one when we haven’t finished grieving our other relatives?” Prosper said. “It’s just compounded weekly. Weekly there’s another death and then there’s another death.”
Prosper said most people in Indigenous communities know someone who is impacted by the crisis.
“We’re losing a whole generations of moms and dads, leaving all these children,” she said.
Erica Hennie, another organizer of the walk, said the idea came from a dream Prosper had, telling her to bring awareness of the issue and take action.
“She came to me and asked me if I’d help her, so that’s what we did.” Hennie said. “We put her dream into the process of this walk.”
Both women say the province must work directly with Indigenous communities to expand access to detox and treatment, including more addictions workers and culturally responsive care — before more lives are lost.
Betty Nippi-Albright, Opposition NDP MLA for Saskatoon Centre, said Tuesday that the system is failing people in crisis.
“We only have a small window of opportunity when somebody reaches out for help and we need to be there,” said Nippi-Albright. “Three-digit waiting lists for detox is not good. Every single day, we hear people dying from fentanyl overdose. Crystal meth is ruining lives here in this province, and the government needs to step up.”
Nippi-Albright said healing must be community-driven and culturally grounded, and that Indigenous-led solutions need more support from the provincial government.
