REGINA - A group of walkers from Muskoday First Nation have made their way to the Legislature to raise awareness about the fentanyl and crystal meth crisis facing Saskatchewan.
The group of walkers, who had made the long journey south from Muskoday down Highway 6, arrived at the legislature shortly before noon on Tuesday where they were greeted by New Democrat MLAs.
One of those involved in the walk, Erica Hennie, said they were there raising awareness about crystal meth overdoses.
“It's a topic that's really touchy and a lot of people need to be aware of it,” Hennie said. “It's affecting everybody, all walks of life, every nation, all our reserves, all our in-city, urban, everywhere, everywhere that crystal meth, a lot of people are overdosing from it.”
Hennie said they wanted to “open the dialogue so people start talking about it, because if you don't talk about it, it's going to be hit continuously, swept under the rug. So we have to keep going, keep raising that awareness for everybody.
The group from Muskoday had been walking annually for three years to raise awareness, as part of a four year commitment.
“The first year was just a couple of us, and we made it, and now it's getting to be more,” said Betty Prosper, an addictions counsellor and one of the organizers.
It’s grown to the point that different communities have joined in the walk and even helped house the walkers on their journey.
“So it's important that the work that they're doing is so important, creating the awareness that crystal meth is ruining lives,” said Betty Nippi-Albright, MLA for Saskatoon Centre, who joined them for their pipe ceremony at the beginning of the walk and then for the last couple of days.
“Fentanyl is killing people. We're losing a whole generation of people, and it's important that community mobilize, mobilizes, to raise awareness about what's impacting all of us in this province,” she said.
“It's impacting every single one of us, and for Muskoday First Nation to take this initiative is wonderful, but you know what? They can't do it alone. We need others to raise awareness. We need to mobilize to ensure that the provincial government is responsive in ensuring there's cultural accessible treatment, and also working with the First Nation communities and contributing to the on-reserve treatment centers that are opening, and that ensuring that there's Indigenous-led treatment. So that's important.”
In terms of what has to be done, Hennie said there needs to be more resources, and more awareness. It’s her belief the walk is making an impact.
“Yes, this is actually making a difference because we do have people that have joined us and talked to us, and that they have family members that are in recovery,” said Hennie. She said they have a page on Facebook: Crystal Meth and Fentanyl Overdose awareness, which includes stories about people who have recovered.
“The other thing that's really resonating with all citizens in the province is that a community is coming together, that they're waking up, and hopefully they continue to be touched enough to act,” said Nippi-Albright. “So social media, we've gotten a lot of traction on social media, and people have been following the walk and have been praising the walkers for all that they've been doing.”
