Nisqually Chairman: Per Cap Payments Help Fuel Drug Problems

Current Problems With Substance Abuse Within the Tribe

The rate of substance abuse was 14.9 percent for American Indian or Alaskan Natives older than 12-years-old, nearly double the rate of Whites, African Americans, Asians and Hispanics, according to the most recent study by the National Congress of American Indians.

“It’s not just an Indian thing, opioids don’t care what race you are,” Tribal Councilor Willie Frank III said. “It doesn’t matter what color you are, it’s about the addiction. I’m glad people are taking notice to it.”

Chairman Farron McCloud went to Washington, D.C. last week to represent Nisqually at the National Congress of American Indian Conference. At the conference he said a tribe in Alaska lost 23 of their members to opioid or other drug related overdose deaths following “Per Cap Day.” Per capita is a percentage of profits that an Indian reservation makes from their casinos and stores and then given back to tribal members 18 years old and over.

McCloud said members of the Nisqually Tribe have not seen a problem with members overdosing and losing their lives the day after Per Cap but he admitted the policy helps fuel the drug problems on the reservation. 

The two tribal leaders did not provide specifics to the total amount the Nisqually Tribe dispersed last Thursday but called it a “lump sum” of money. Members can choose to receive their money four times per year or they can choose to have it distributed monthly.

Tribal members are not required to have a financial background nor are they required to pass a drug test. A member tried to implement a program for young adults to gain financial literacy a few years ago but did not gain traction. Although McCloud and Frank support a drug test requirement, adding a drug test or financial literacy requirement to receive a Per Cap check would need to come from a change in the Nisqually Indian Tribe constitution.

“Per Cap really helps tribal members with bills, payments with their way of life, when members are addicted out there and we give them this lump sum of money, we’re not helping them at all,” McCloud said. “We have to figure out who’s clean and who needs the help.”

Frank and McCloud said they stood at the second floor of the Nisqually administration building and watched tribal members come into the building to receive their checks, an experience Frank called “terrible.” McCloud said some of the people look like zombies and he knows many of the tribal members with substance abuse disorder use Per Cap to buy drugs or to pay debts to drug dealers.

“I think we really need to work on that because we keep feeding them that money and they go out and buy their choice of drugs or alcohol and that’s when we lose them,” McCloud said.

Although the tribe is not currently losing people at the rate of the tribe in Alaska, after his visit to Washington, D.C. McCloud began thinking of ways to change their Per Cap policy if the problem explodes.

The tribe is working to build a foundation where they can first help the people that are struggling and then figure out the issues revolving around Per Cap according to the chairman. He suggested the tribe give struggling members their money after they receive treatment.

“I wish there was a way we could make people take a UA before they get their checks or distribute funds for them because it’s scary,” Frank said.

Previous Substance Abuse Within Leadership

Frank, son of Billy Frank Jr. and McCloud both struggled with drug and alcohol addiction but are trying to end the stigma and continue to find solutions for their members.

“Everybody has good in ya’, you just have to get it out,” McCloud said. “When you’re addicted you can’t do that.”

McCloud is 10 years clean from drugs and alcohol and takes pride in his ability to overcome addiction and mentor those still struggling. He went through several treatments and “didn’t get back to who he was” until he focused on spirituality.

“It’s huge for me to reach out and try to help my community, my tribal members and everyone within this tribe,” McCloud said. “It’s a big part of my life, I work at it every day in my recovery and what I learned is that I had to go back to my spirituality, my culture, my language, my way of life as being a proud Native American.”

The Chairman turned to alcohol abuse after his father died when he was 13-years-old and had almost no guidance after losing his mother when he was 18. He struggled with alcoholism for nearly 37 years before getting sober at age 50.

“I’m not afraid to tell my story, I’m not afraid to say that I am a recovering alcoholic,” McCloud said. “Even in D.C. I’ll say that.” 

Frank slipped into a downward spiral of opioid abuse after his father’s death in 2014. He was found to embezzle $50,000 from the tribe but did pay the money back before being charged although he is still on probation. Frank said he was ashamed to admit he had a problem with substance abuse but found help through treatment and mentorship from leaders in the tribe. 

“I have dealt with addiction and nobody is going to save you but yourself, you have to want to save yourself,” Frank said. “This is a battle that me and the Chairman always talk about.” 

Frank is nearly four years clean from prescription drug and alcohol abuse.

“Having people on the council who understand that, it’s easier to help our tribal members that way,” Frank said. “I think it’s a way, hopefully that we can encourage people that are in trouble and need help to go and seek it.”

Developing an Intoxicated Culture

Multiple generations of Nisqually Indians have been mistreated by the federal and state government which took a toll on their ancestors and resulted in a high rate of substance abuse, according to McCloud. 

The culture of alcohol and drug consumption was passed on through the teaching by elders of the tribe who discovered the substances eased the pain. As a result, younger generations learned that drugs and alcohol would help them ease their pain and the “vicious cycle” continued.

When McCloud grew up, drinking was promoted so heavily, he said everyone had to bring at least a six-pack of beer to be allowed an at-bat in a recreational baseball game.

“There was a lot of alcohol when I was young, we grew up that way, we learned it,” McCloud said. “It was a thing to do, it was alright. Nobody really punished you, not your mom or dad, not your aunts or uncles, not your grandparents. We drank right with them, it didn’t matter what age you were so we learned it.”

Frank said the tribe has a history of living unhealthy but have focused on mind, body and soul in recent years. The tribe would receive oatmeal and beans from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the federal government, for example, a popular and unhealthy diet for tribal members. He said having a nutritionist working for the tribe promotes people to eat healthy which is right in line with a healthy life away from drugs and alcohol. 

“I’m learning that, I didn’t think there was a way to do it without drugs and alcohol,” McCloud said. “I had no clue but I’m learning that and we need to teach our kids that now.”

Recovery and Teaching Sobriety to Youth

McCloud admitted he taught his kids that it was alright to drink, similar to what his parents taught him. Ten years ago McCloud committed to end the cycle and is now focused on creating better treatment opportunities and promoting events without drugs and alcohol including the Canoe Journey hosted by the tribe in 2016. 

“We offer treatment for our tribal members, we try to get them to detox, we try to get them to treatment,” Frank said. “Funding is always an issue for us but we never give up on our members whether that’s one time in treatment or 50 times, we need to find a way to get them there and get them the help they need.”

Similar to the rest of the country, the tribe has seen an increase in drug abuse and homelessness. They plan to use additional revenue to fund better treatment facilities and renovate the old Nisqually Jail into a homeless shelter for tribal members and improve upon the 16 cabins used for temporary housing at Brighton Creek near McKenna. 

The tribe currently has a portable structure that serves as the “Recovery Cafe,” an outpatient treatment program run by Chemical Dependency Professional Program Manager Kelly Knittle. The program hands out packets with Narcan to prevent overdose deaths, similar to House Bill 2390 which mandates high schools and college dorms have Narcan on scene.

McCloud also runs a ceremonial sweat lodge at 6 p.m. every Monday at the cafe. Between five and 20 members attend. The sweat lodge is made of a canopy with a pit in the middle used for hot rocks, similar to a sauna and promotes “Wellbriety” where people can pray and talk to each other. Tribal members in the Nisqually Jail are often allowed to attend McCloud’s sweat lodge.

“If you’re just going to lock them up for 30 days and have them clean up and then let them out, they are going to do the same thing, they are going to do the exact same thing, they haven’t learned anything,” McCloud said. “They are doing it because they are addicted and need help.”

Frank and McCloud expressed the need to hold people accountable for crime and agreed incarceration does not solve issues of substance abuse.

“We don’t want to lock them up because they have an addiction problem, there’s more to it than that,” he said.

McCloud attributes many of the problems with alcohol and drug abuse to parental and tribal influence. In an effort to keep their youth off of drugs, the tribe is promoting a shift in the tribe’s stance on sobriety and provides kids after school activities and tutors at the Nisqually Youth Center.

The youth center was constructed in 2010 and contains a full-size basketball court, weight room and computer lab although Frank admitted the building isn’t as utilized as they want it to be. He cited the difficulty of connecting with youth and finding what they are interested in but will continue to promote fun without drugs and alcohol. 

“I got into trouble, I did a lot of stupid things but I survived it,” McCloud said. “Once you survive it, being clean, your mind opens up and you can do what the creator intended you to do. You can’t do that when you are addicted.”