A grassroots effort to help people struggling with opioid addiction is expanding from Minneapolis to Duluth. Since 2016 Natives Against Heroin has lead street outreach efforts, community gatherings and sweat lodges to promote healing.
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A grassroots effort to help people struggling with opioid addiction is expanding from Minneapolis to Duluth.
Since 2016 Natives Against Heroin has lead street outreach efforts, community gatherings and sweat lodges to promote healing.
Babette Sandman says that’s exactly what she wants to have in Duluth for people struggling with opioid addiction.
SANDMAN: This emanates love. This emanates, we care about you. We are fighting for your life. (:05)
Sandman is part of the Duluth Indigenous Commission.
The group kicked off the new Chapter of Natives Against Heroin with a community fire and a feast on Saturday February 24th in downtown Duluth.
Sandman says the group plans to have weekly gatherings at One Roof Community Housing on 4th street in downtown Duluth.
SANDMAN: We are going to have some fire side teachings starting with basic cultural 101 teachings about the fire and slowly building up to teaching about sweat lodges and then eventually we are going to have sweat lodges. (:13)
The work is lead by American Indians in Duluth but Sandman says they’ve got great support from the mayor, the fire chief and a number of local organizations.