Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention in 

Native Communities 

The

populations.  Tribes are addressing the crisis using legal, medical, cultural, and preventive

measures. This fact sheet presents up‐to‐date prevention practices being implemented in

AI/AN communities across the nation.  The purpose of this information is to help Native

Connections grantees in planning to address opioid misuse in their communities, based on

community needs and readiness levels.

opioid crisis is a fast‐growing epidemic for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)

Tribal Prevention Practices to Address Opioid Misuse 

Beyond building awareness, tribes are taking steps to help their members address the many

issues raised by opioid misuse.  Below is a list of prevention practices, recommended by

experts and tribal leaders, being used across the country in Native communities.1

 Institute overdose protection programs.  Raise community awareness on using life‐

saving drugs for opioid overdoses and for recovery from opioid addiction with

involvement from medical providers, first responders, and law enforcement are

effective strategies.2   

 Strengthen culture.  Methods for strengthening culture include a campaign to

encourage participation in cultural activities, creating communal/community

gathering spaces, promoting traditional foods with cooking and health education,

and sponsoring sober community events and cultural ceremonies.  Additionally,

integrating ceremonies and language into everyday life strengthens culture, as do

language immersion opportunities.

 Reach youth early.  Research shows substance misuse rates for AI/AN youth are

significantly higher than national averages.  For example, binge drinking and

OxyContin use among AI/AN youth start earlier than non‐AI/AN youth.3  Given

1 http://mn.gov/gov‐stat/pdf/2017_03_09_Opioid_Summit_Report.pdf

2 https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/10/17/battling‐opiods‐in‐indian‐country/

3 Stanley, L., Harness, S., Swaim, R., Beauvais, F., Rates of Substance Use of American Indian Students in

8th, 10th, and 12 Grades Living on or Near Reservation: Update, 2009‐2012, Public Health Reports, March‐

April 2014, V.129
these elevated risk factors, reaching AI/AN youth before eighth grade for prevention

activities should be considered.4   

 Address chronic pain. Availability of alternative pain management strategies and

Chronic Pain Agreements helps moderate prescription drug use.5  

 Strengthen culture in educational settings.  Including cultural elements in school

curriculums and afterschool programs is an effective strategy.  Fostering better

relationships between tribes and public schools may be necessary before these goals

can be achieved.  Programs such as youth mentoring and parent education through

culture can also be developed via educational settings.   

 Improve access to culturally‐based services. Medical services providing chemical

dependency, mental health, and suicide prevention assistance can add a cultural

perspective to treatment.  Traditional healers can be employed to reduce harm,

promote health, and encourage self‐care for practitioners.  

 Strengthen community leadership.  Focus on strengthening leadership through elder

wisdom, youth experiences, pairing elders and youth, building community

organizing skills, and celebrating and recognizing individual and community

achievements and successes.  Raising tribal leadership awareness of prevention

efforts may help contribute to sustainability.

 Collect specific data. Tribes and other organizations should invest in data collection

on prevention practices and outcomes, so leaders and decision‐makers can access,

analyze, and evaluate strengths and risks for programs and populations.  Evaluation

research on culturally‐specific practices needs to occur so best practices can be

established.  

 Address trauma in community.  Promote understanding of trauma‐informed

practices in agencies and tribal leadership.  A guide for trauma‐informed care can be

found at https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14‐4816/SMA14‐4816.pdf.     

Also, consider Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) when planning prevention

practices.  Additionally, understanding trauma and traumatic experiences can be

incorporated in family and community education.  More information about ACEs

can be at https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/index.html.  

 Intentionally organize for change.  Convene summits around prevention that

include stakeholders, government agencies, and community entities. 6

                                                   

             

     

   

4 National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, March 2016. Access the full article at https://www.drugabuse.gov/about‐nida/noras‐

blog/2014/09/substance‐use‐in‐american‐indian‐youth‐worse‐than‐we‐thought

5 Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/about‐nida/noras‐blog/2016/09/responsibly‐sensitively‐

addressing‐chronic‐pain‐amid‐opioid‐crisis 11/29/2017

6 http://mn.gov/gov‐stat/pdf/2017_03_09_Opioid_Summit_Report.pdf

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