“What happens to the salmon is happening to us.”

The Lummi Nation has declared a fentanyl crisis, a response to a drug that has reshaped what addiction looks like in their community. Lummi leaders, families, and people in recovery share what their Nation is carrying, and what is helping them carry it.

This story is also about what holds people: canoe pulling, the Lummi Blackhawk singers, the language, the regalia, and the protocols passed down across more than 150 generations. It follows a Salish Sea people designing a state of the art detox facility with culture at its center, using Self-Governance authority to respond to the crisis on Lummi terms.

Featuring Lummi Nation tribal leadership, Marcel Hilaire, and members of the Lummi Police Department.

⚠️ This story discusses substance use and loss. Please take care while watching.