Penticton Indian Band is taking a community-wide approach to addressing the toxic drug crisis, combining harm reduction, outreach, housing support, culture and prevention to meet people where they are and support them on their healing journeys.
Like many communities across BC, the Penticton Indian Band has experienced the devastating impacts of toxic drug poisonings.
” We’ve lost people,” said Harmony Pickett, Mental Health and Substance Use Worker with the Nation. “We’ve seen folks that have been brought back from poisoning with naloxone, but we’ve also seen the gray area of folks who were brought back but unfortunately had to remain in long-term care until they passed. We had a fatal poisoning in community just two weeks ago.”
In response, Penticton Indian Bandhas invested heavily in building services and supports for community members. What was once a single drug and alcohol counsellor position has grown into an 11-person Mental Health and Substance Use team delivering services throughout the community every day.
For Harmony, these efforts reflect the Nation’s commitment to supporting community members at every stage of their journey.
“We are really doing everything that we can within our power to bring education, awareness, reduce harm and continue to support,” she said.
Through its Integrated Community Outreach Team, the Nation works alongside Interior Health, First Nations policing and community partners to provide direct outreach to community members. Staff visit people in their homes, distribute harm reduction supplies, provide naloxone kits and training, offer referrals to detox and treatment programs, connect people with housing supports and help individuals navigate access to healthcare services.
“We’re really out there every single day,” said Harmony. “We’re in community and we’re doing face-to-face, in-home appointments with our folks. Sometimes the barrier is transportation, sometimes it’s stigma, so we go and meet them where they’re at.”
The outreach team’s work extends beyond harm reduction. They provide drug-checking services that help identify dangerous substances circulating in the community, allowing staff to share information, raise awareness and reduce risks. The Nation has also supported community members experiencing homelessness to access supportive housing, helping create safer and more stable living situations.
According to Harmony, more than 27 community members have been housed through initiatives over the past 18 months.
A key part of Penticton Indian Band’s approach is the belief that healing goes beyond treatment and services alone. Culture and connection are woven throughout the Nation’s mental health and substance use programming.
“I was also in addiction myself and I’ve been in recovery for 17 years,” said Harmony. “Culture was one of the biggest things that brought me back was remembering who I am and where I come from.”
Each week, the team offers land-based healing activities, often guided by Elders, that reconnect participants with culture, community and the land. These activities include going to the water, smudging, harvesting medicines, berries and roots. The Nation also offers men’s and women’s sweat lodges and incorporates ceremony and traditional teachings into wellness programming.
The Nation is also making great efforts with prevention and education for future generations. Staff provide substance use education and prevention programming in local schools and offer naloxone training for youth. They also run youth-focused programs such as a boys weightlifting program, that gives young people a safe space to talk about the challenges affecting them while caring for their physical and mental health.
Alongside direct services, the Nation continues to play a leadership role in community awareness and remembrance initiatives, hosting annual International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) events, and partners with the City of Penticton and community organizations on regional awareness activities.
To mark last year’s IOAD, the Nation had a bench commissioned by Reg Barber Senior and Reg Barber Junior, both members of the Penticton Indian Band. The bench included a plaque to honour those in the community who were lost to the toxic drug crisis and provide families with a quiet space for reflection and healing.
This year’s event on Aug. 31 and will bring community together to honour those lost and learn about local initiatives happening to combat stigma and the effects of the toxic drug crisis. There will be live performances, an interactive memorial display, smudging and emotional support, naloxone training and overdose prevention support, and a community BBQ.
You can find International Overdose Awareness Day events here. To read more about Indigenous perspectives of harm reduction, visit our harm reduction section.