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Native Vote. At Saturday’s Walk For Our Lives fentanyl awareness event in Española, Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), a candidate for governor of New Mexico, joined families affected by the fentanyl epidemic and pledged to take action on the crisis. She promised to direct resources toward addiction recovery programs, family support services, and to equip law enforcement with the tools needed to combat the spread of illegal drugs across the state. The event was led by Española native Alicia Pauline Vigil-Ryan, whose son died from fentanyl poisoning in 2022.
“The rise of fentanyl in our communities is heartbreaking. It ruins lives and families. Thank you to Alicia for your strength in leading us all today. As governor, I’ll invest in addiction services, making sure families have support, and in law enforcement so they have the tools to keep our community safe and provide the help the community needs,” Haaland said.
A recent report from the New Mexico Department of Health reveals a significant spike in overdose deaths in Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties, with fentanyl responsible for the majority of those fatalities.
Haaland has spoken openly about her own past struggles with addiction, giving her a personal understanding of how deeply substance abuse impacts individuals and families—and the difficulty of accessing help. While serving in Congress, she secured $9.4 million in funding for New Mexico communities to address the opioid epidemic and expand addiction services. As Secretary of the Interior, she partnered with Indian Health Services (IHS) to bolster mental health support in high schools serving Native youth, aiming to prevent early pathways to addiction.
About the Author: “Levi “Calm Before the Storm” Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net.”
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
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