Nya:wëh sgë:nö’. I want to thank the Seneca Nation Drug Taskforce for developing this special edition of the newsletter, and also for working to raise awareness about the ongoing drug epidemic that has been plaguing our communities for years.
The societal pressures and temptations facing our people – particularly our youth – have never been greater. The dangers that illicit drug sales and use pose to our safety, our health and our overall way of life continue to be a significant concern. Illegal drugs have robbed us of far too many lives, leaving an emptiness in our community that can never be filled, and scars on the hearts of countless families that will never fully heal.
The individuals who promote and support this activity – both outside our community and within it – are committing some of the most egregious and offensive crimes against our people and our Seneca families. They are devaluing Seneca lives for their own selfish purposes. They are putting Seneca lives in danger with no remorse. We cannot and will not stand for it.
The statistics are devastating. Native people, as you know, are almost twice as likely to die of an opioid overdose than non-Natives. Behind these numbers are names – far too many for me to list here. And each of those names tells a story of pain, of struggle, of hopes and dreams cut short.
Thankfully, we have resources and individuals to help those who need support. If you are having troubles and need a place to turn, please, tell someone. If you know of someone who is hurting and may be in danger of making a bad decision, please say something. If you see, hear or know of illegal activity taking place on our territories, please speak up. Help us root out this problem that threatens to undermine the very foundation of our community and our culture.
To be silent is to be complicit.
Our community can only reach our greatest potential if we are able to help and protect those who are most at risk. We cannot let our friends, family and neighbors fall. We have to hold one another up. The Seneca Nation Drug Taskforce, programs like Seneca Strong, organizations like SMAD and our first responders, along with countless individuals and neighbors, and our Nation’s government will continue doing whatever we can to keep bad actors out of our community. But that is not enough. We must unite as a community, rise up as one, to defend and protect each other.
The responsibility lies with each and every one of us and can start with something as simple as having an open and honest conversation with our youth about the dangers posed by illegal drug use. Our young people are looking to us for guidance, but we also must lead by example. These kinds of small and proactive actions can have a big impact in the long term.
It is also crucial that as we take every action to prevent drug use – including sending a strong message to those intent on harming our communities by selling illegal substances on our Territories – that we do so in the confines of our own regulations and laws. Vigilantism is not a solution; it merely puts more people in unnecessary danger and makes a bad problem worse.
Thank you to everyone who has shared a personal story as part of this newsletter. We appreciate your honesty, knowledge and experience. Hopefully, through communication, dedication and action, we can rid our Seneca community of the people and activities that only serve to drive us apart. I know we can do it if we all work together.
Nya:wëh,
President Matthew B. Pagels
