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Tribes: Settlement in opioids case will bolster healing

W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, poses for a photo, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in front of the Jamestown Healing Clinic, in Sequim, Wash. The tribe is building a full-service health center to treat both tribal members and other community residents for opioid addictions. Earlier in the week, Native American tribes across the U.S. settled a lawsuit against drug maker Johnson & Johnson and the largest three drug distribution companies in the U.S. for $590 million. The money won't be distributed quickly, but tribal leaders say it will play a part in healing their communities from an epidemic that has disproportionately killed Native Americans.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, poses for a photo, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in front of the Jamestown Healing Clinic, in Sequim, Wash. The tribe is building a full-service health center to treat both tribal members and other community residents for opioid addictions. Earlier in the week, Native American tribes across the U.S. settled a lawsuit against drug maker Johnson & Johnson and the largest three drug distribution companies in the U.S. for $590 million. The money won't be distributed quickly, but tribal leaders say it will play a part in healing their communities from an epidemic that has disproportionately killed Native Americans.

Money that will flow to Native American tribes as part of an opioid drug settlement with a major manufacturer and three distributors won't come quickly.

But tribal leaders say it will play a part in healing their communities from an epidemic that has disproportionately killed Native Americans.

Tribes have responded to the opioid crisis with healing and wellness centers, additional tools for law enforcement and an emphasis on culture and tradition.

Many of the financial resources have been thin.

Each of the 574 federally recognized tribes will be eligible for a share of $590 million from the settlement, even if they weren't part of lawsuits.