Chippewa Tribe Seeks to Curb Drug Epidemic By Testing at North Dakota Community College
BELCOURT, N.D.
Officials of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa are taking steps to address what they say is an epidemic drug problem on the northern North Dakota reservation.
The tribe has started random drug testing at Turtle Mountain Community College, and has taken steps to banish drug traffickers from the reservation.
“The reason we had to do it is to try to protect our people,” says tribal chairman Ken Davis. “It’s gotten to a point where we are having to take some very drastic measures.”
About one-third of tribal employees have been through initial drug testing, say officials. Sean LaFountain, coordinator of the Tribal Drug Testing Program, says he expects the initial testing to be completed by late spring or early summer. It will be followed by quarterly random tests of up to 25 percent of employees.
LaFountain is pushing to have other entities adopt the program to create a uniform drug-testing policy across the reservation. The tribe’s public utility, the Turtle Mountain Housing Authority has already joined the effort. Turtle Mountain Community Schools are preparing a program that would affect staff, administration and the school board.
