Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, along with Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams, signed a memorandum of understanding with Siksika Nation to increase addiction treatment capacity on the lands of Siksika Nation. 

First Nations people across Alberta face some of the highest risk for overdose deaths and access to land-based, culturally safe addiction treatment services is often limited or missing completely. 

Smith mentioned the Government of Alberta wants to do more to enable people to get the help they need to pursue recovery and that the memorandum that has been signed is an investment of up to 30 million in capital.

"This new 75-bed recovery community will provide holistic addiction treatment services for up to 300 people every year and once the building is complete, Alberta's government will also fully fund the operations of the recovery community so that no person is forced to pay out of pocket for lifesaving. This is an important step towards increasing access to long-term addiction treatment that meets the needs of First Nations."

"First Nation communities are affected by the deadly disease of addiction within the province of Alberta, and it's our responsibility for this government to step in and support them immediately," said Minister Williams.

Siksika Nation is the second largest First Nation in Canada and Chief of Siksika Nation Ouray Crowfoot explains that that is why it is important to make a safer Siksika for the people. 

"A lot of times drug use is a side effect of trauma that took place of not feeling safe or not feeling secure. If you have an area that doesn't have any policing, then you are bound to have drug dealers come from larger municipalities because they will feel safe where they won't get caught. So that is why we are putting these initiatives in and working with the Government of Alberta," he said.

Chief Crowfoot explains that they have had far too many people not just in Siksika but in southern Alberta who have passed away in the last couple of years from an overdose of drugs or alcoholism. 

"We can't just put our head in the sand and expect it to go away. This is a worldwide pandemic and we, our people, a lot of the time have a hard time getting into those rehab facilities in Calgary. There are large wait times. This is why a facility on the nation will help our people to get in those facilities and that critical window that they need to get into that facility," Crowfoot said.

The facility is going to be community-oriented care which means that it will scale up over time.

"When it's complete, we have Albertans and Siksika members in treatment right away, but that starts with a smaller group. Maybe we start with just over a dozen or 20 and then gradually go up from there," Minister Williams said. 

Williams added that they can't just start at a large number of patients right off the start because they need people going through the program so that they can help others along.

"There's going to be life skills that are learned in this program, financial skills. There's going to be work that they would do in the program. That, in turn, works in the community."

Chief Crowfoot left off by sending off a thank you to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams, and their ministry.

"This is one big major step towards helping our people safe and helping the rest of Alberta being safe. We are moving forward to build a brighter Siksika and a brighter Alberta."  

The facility is expected to start in 2024 and will be completed in 2025. 

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