The doors of the Menominee Tribal Police Station Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Keshena, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Wisconsin’s Menominee Indian Tribe has seen a sharp drop in overdoses leading to hospitalization or death this year after two years of record deaths on the reservation.

So far this year, the tribe has seen a nearly 70 percent drop in overdoses that lead to hospitalizations or deaths, Menominee said. in a recent press release.

In a statement, Ben Warringtondirector of emergency management and co-chair of Menominee TribeThe drug addiction intervention team said the drop is promising. He called the data a testament to tribal organizations’ efforts to provide accurate information, education and resources to those struggling with addiction.

“This fight may never end, but we will continue to work together to find solutions that lead to healthy outcomes for our communities, now and in the future,” Warrington said.

In 2022, Menominee declared a state of emergency related to the impact of drug use and addiction. in that year Menominee Countywhere the tribe’s reservation is located, had the highest overdose death rate in all of Wisconsin.

In May, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that overdose deaths nationally decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2023.

But Menominee actually saw an increase from 2022 to 2023. The tribe had 16 overdose deaths in 2022 and 19 in 2023, according to the data. Addie CaldwellDirector of Wellness Programs at the Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center and Co-Chair of the Drug Addiction Intervention Team.

“Last year, by far, was our biggest losing year,” Caldwell said.

The tribe has only had three overdose deaths so far this year, marking a significant change, Caldwell said.

She said the tribe declaring a state of emergency in 2022 led to a community meeting that generated ideas about how to solve the opioid crisis. That meeting then led to increased cooperation between local organizations through the Drug Addiction Intervention Team to expand work and find gaps in existing addiction resources.

An Opioid Addiction Intervention meeting is Monday, January 9, 2023 in Keshena, Wisconsin. Angela Major/WPR

“That team was really formed to look at the problem as a whole, and from there we all made these goals collaboratively,” Caldwell said. “I feel like that was a big part of making or bringing down those overdose levels.”

One of the biggest areas of focus has been community education, aimed at reducing the stigma around addiction and fostering more understanding, Caldwell said.

“At the end of the day, these are our brothers, these are our sisters, these are our mothers, our fathers. It’s our community,” she said. “The easiest thing about addiction is that we can point fingers and blame people. But it’s a community issue.”

Caldwell said the tribe also used data to find “hot spots,” places in the community with a disproportionate number of overdoses and “hot spots” when overdoses occurred more frequently. Using that data, she says the community was able to get recovery coaches on the ground to help make people aware that resources were available.

She said the community also worked on harm reduction, which included increasing the supply of fentanyl and Narcan test strips. Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in different types of drugs, and Narcan is a drug that quickly reverses the effects of an overdose.

“Narcan is critical,” Caldwell said. “I know there’s a lot of opinions out there that think we’re giving this stuff out and it’s just making people overdose or use more. But in reality, it saves a life. It’s nothing more than that.”

Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center Director Addie Caldwell Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Keshena, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Caldwell said he thinks the fact that Narcan is available to “anyone and everyone” is probably “No. One thing that has changed in this community to help lower our overdose rates.”

There has also been a change in mindset in the community, she said, particularly among the tribe’s youth, where individuals are more willing to ask for help and acknowledge a desire to change.

The Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center, where Caldwell works, has seen an increase in the number of patients seeking help for mental health or addiction issues. She said the tribe is also trying to increase early intervention efforts.

“We’re actually trying to increase our interventions or near-prevention efforts within our schools,” Caldwell said. “We’re trying to get in there earlier and earlier or give our parents opportunities to just have a few conversations.”

While Menominees are encouraged by the sharp drop in overdose deaths and hospitalizations, Caldwell says there’s more work to be done. She sees it as an investment that will pay off for generations to come.

“This is work that will continue to need attention,” she said. “Just like someone in recovery, that’s what they have to work on for the rest of their lives, we’re going to continue to fight against drugs and alcohol and all the things that come with addiction.”

Listen to the WPR report

The Menominee Tribe is seeing a sharp drop in overdose deaths and hospitalizations was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.