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- By Native News Online Staff
The Southwest Michigan Opioid Summit 2025 will bring together leaders from tribal communities, public health, law enforcement, and the addiction recovery field. Also sponsoring the event is the C.A.S.S. Community Coalition and the Cass County Opioid Settlement Fund.
While Americans of all races and ethnicities have been affected, the proliferation of opioid deaths has disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, especially Indigenous people.
After decades of increasing overdose rates spurred by an opioid crisis now characterized by the presence of the highly deadly illicit opioid fentanyl, overdoses declined by roughly 10.6% in the second half of 2023. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islanders all saw decreases, ranging from single to double digits. American Indians and Alaska Natives saw an increase in opioid deaths of 2%.
Generational trauma and barriers to healthcare access rooted in geographic isolation have left tribal nations reeling under the weight of opioid addiction, which is killing Native people at unprecedented rates. Native Americans disproportionately struggle with the comorbidities of opioid abuse: the Indian Health Service reports that Indigenous peoples experience higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is predominant in opioid dependence.
The summit will include:
• Public Health Innovators sharing cutting-edge research and preventive measures to combat the epidemic.
• Addiction Recovery Champions discussing personal journeys and the latest approaches to holistic recovery.
• Tribal Leadership Perspectives, focusing on Indigenous-led strategies tailored to tribal communities.
• Compassionate Harm Reduction Advocates, emphasizing life-saving interventions and compassionate care.
The summit is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Fred L. Mathews Library – Mathews Conference Center West, Southwestern Michigan College, in Dowagiac, Michigan. It is open to the public and free to attend. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Click here for more information.
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