Indigenous people in B.C. are over four times more likely to die from a drug overdose than all other groups combined, and the gap is widening, according to statistics from B.C.’s First Nations Health Authority.
That was the message today as well from the Fraser Health Authority in partnership with the Kwantlen First Nation, at a ceremony and information session held in Surrey.
Several members of the Kwantlen First Nation drummed and sang while a special blanket depicting a wolf, a bear, a buffalo and an eagle, was placed so anyone who wished to could pin a chrome ribbon to it, in honour of each individual in the Fraser Health Region who had lost his or her life to drug overdose.
There were 520 ribbons in total, 193 of which represented a First Nations person.
"The essence of today really is to have conversations," said Len Pierre, cultural safety coordinator for the Fraser Health Authority. "There’s a fear of having a conversation and a fear of being judged."
In 2018, overdose deaths amongst Indigenous people in BC rose by 21 per cent from 2017, according to the FNHA. It cites systemic racism, access to treatment and intergenerational trauma as factors that contribute to the higher rates of drug overdose deaths amongst First Nations peoples.
Pierre said all communities battling the opioid crisis would benefit from a shift in perceptions, and a willingness to engage in meaningful conversations — by everyone.
"In moving forward, to really address the crisis I think what we need to do is rethink the way we’ve been talking about substance use in our communities for a very long time," Pierre said. "I think we need to rethink drug policy and we really need to de-stigmatize people who use substances."
Both the FNHA and the Fraser Health Authority provide information on overdose prevention and response online.
