Community March Planned to Bring Awareness to Drug Overdoses

By Joe Morey

News Editor

An event is planned for Sunday at Noon to call attention to the drug epidemic currently plaguing the Reservation called “Community Against Meth and Heroin March.”

Organized by Charles Jared Kagigebi, Steve Clause and Tony Gouge, the March will start as a community rally at the LCO Tribal Office Pavilion at Noon. The organizers said they will then coordinate transport into each community where they will march through bringing attention to the meth and heroin.

Kagigebi said after the marches in the communities, they will meet back at the Pavilion where they will have a feast. A prayer will begin the event provided by Mike DeMain.

The LCO Community has lost more of its members in the past two years to drug overdoses than at any other time before.

“We hope to bring awareness straight to the dealers that are pushing these poisons in our community,” Kagigebi explained. “They’re killing our people, our friends and family. We just hope to put a stop to the drugs being pushed here at LCO. I know we can’t stop it all, but we need to try.”

Kagigebi went on to say that some people are afraid to stand up to these drug dealers, but the event organizers are not and that’s why they are organizing the March.

“How many more lives need to be lost before we all come together and say we’ve had enough,” Kagigebi explains. He wants everyone in the community to come stand with them this Sunday, September 5 at Noon and show that enough is enough.

Kagigebi said he will provide transportation through the Sober Driver Project for any Elders or others who are not able to walk through the communities.