by Greg Lincoln
The members of the Association of Village Council Presidents Inc. (AVCP) passed a resolution during their 60th Annual Convention held in August of this year directing the State and Federal Delegation to take immediate action on the heroin, fentanyl, and meth epidemic in Bethel.
Resolution 24-08-01 was submitted by the Orutsararmiut Native Council (ONC), the federally recognized tribal government for the aboriginal inhabitants of the native community of Bethel to the convention.
ONC is responsible for protecting its tribal members in all respects, says Res. 24-08-01, including intervention of illegal sales and transport of heroin and meth in Bethel.
ONC “acknowledges the increase and severe impact of the opioid and meth epidemic on the community, particularly in youth, resulting in significant hardship and irreparable harm to families and the community,” states the resolution.
The resolution also says that Bethel is recognized as a high intensity drug trafficking city by the federal government. And, due to unfilled positions, the Western Alaska Narcotic Team (WAANT) has not been active in the region for the past three years. Furthermore, the transient nature of state troopers and city police serving two-week temporary duty causes limited public safety in Bethel, resulting in inadequate responses of illegal sales and transport of heroin and meth into the city.
“It is the desire of the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council to combat this epidemic in a constructive manner for the wellbeing of the community,” says the resolution. “The ONTC urgently requests the assistance and recognition of our Congressional Delegation, including U.S. House of Representative Mary Peltola, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Senator Dan Sullivan, as well as the State of Alaska Delegation, comprising State House Representative Conrad McCormick and Senator Lyman Hoffman, in addressing these critical issues.”
ONC also urges distribution of NARCAN kits to address the epidemic. ONC also resolves to authorize and direct the federal and state officials to act on their behalf to solicit, appropriate, and fund the plight against this epidemic/crisis through government to government relationships.
The resolution was adopted on August 29th, 2024 by the members of AVCP.
This resolution was also submitted to the Alaska Federation of Natives which was modified and passed as Resolution 24-09 during the 2024 Annual Convention.
