End Native Overdose

07/10/2026

RIP Dancing Feathers Whitecrow. Many people commit crimes including distribution of illicit drugs. We all know this is terribly wrong along with burglary, larceny, etc. Still, most of them don't die while in custody!

The Oklahoma County jail is a humanitarian crisis. It is one of the deadliest large jails in the United States with more than 60 people dying in custody since 2020. Will this ever end?

An inmate at the Oklahoma County Detention Center died Tuesday after officials say she was found unconscious.

06/03/2026

Deaths from alcohol, drug overdoses, and su***de declined significantly across the United States for the first time since 1999, but Native Americans continue to have the highest rate of death in all three categories.

Deaths from alcohol, drug overdoses, and su***de declined significantly across the United States for the first time since 1999, but Native Americans continue to have the highest rate of death in all three categories. That’s according to a new report by the Trust for America’s Health, a Washingto...

02/11/2026

Senator Weaver Secures Senate Approval for Rain’s Law

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1484 Wednesday to expand fentanyl awareness and prevention education for Oklahoma students in grades 6-12. The measure, known as Rain’s Law, was named in honor of Cameron University education student Rain Reece, whose life was cut short at 19 after she took a pill that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl.

Senator Darrell Weaver, who formerly served as the Director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, carried the legislation in the Senate and emphasized the need for expanded drug-poisoning awareness initiatives, warning that fentanyl is exponentially stronger than many common drugs and poses serious risks to Oklahoma youth.

“Through successful educational initiatives like Red Ribbon Week, we have informed students across the state about the dangers of drugs and the life-altering, or potentially fatal, consequences of substance abuse. However, fentanyl, even in small doses, is far more powerful and claims hundreds of lives each year, making it imperative to educate students on the risks,” Weaver said. “I appreciate my colleagues for their overwhelming support of this measure and look forward to it becoming law to ensure no Oklahoma family has to experience the heartbreak that Rain’s mother and family have endured.”

Rain’s Law directs Oklahoma school districts to teach students about fentanyl exposure as part of existing substance abuse programs, providing instruction tailored to each grade level. The research-based curriculum will address preventing fentanyl use and addiction, raise awareness of available school and community resources, cover su***de prevention, and touch on other health and substance-related topics.

House author Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, said the bill is deeply personal to him because eight of his former students have died from fentanyl amid the growing crisis facing young people today.
“The passage of Rain’s Law means more to me than I can put into words,” Johns said. “This effort has always been about honoring the children we have lost and doing everything we can to educate students on the damaging effects of the drug. This bill will save lives and is legislation that benefits all Oklahomans. I am grateful to my colleagues who stood with us and voted for this bill. This is legislation that puts the safety and future of Oklahoma’s children first.”

HB 1484 also provides that qualified organizations and individuals may partner with local schools to offer instructional materials and educational content, based on standards and resources approved by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Further, Weaver and Johns’ bill would promote additional fentanyl awareness and education by requiring the governor to designate a week as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week to coincide with existing National Red Ribbon Week initiatives.

Rain’s Law will take effect immediately following the governor’s approval.

Darrell Weaver for Lt. Governor

02/10/2026

💬 Important update from the Oklahoma State Capitol

Oklahoma lawmakers are pushing for a Senate vote on Rain’s Law (House Bill 1484), a proposal that would require age-appropriate fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness education in public schools. The bill has already passed unanimously through House committees, the full House and a Senate committee, but it still needs a vote on the Senate floor to move forward.

Named after 19-year-old Rain Reece, who died from fentanyl poisoning, this legislation is about protecting kids with education that can save lives. If enacted, the law would require annual, research-based lessons for students on the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent drug poisoning, along with awareness resources for families and educators.

📣 Now is the time for leaders to act. Education and prevention save lives. Let’s make sure this critical measure becomes law.

Oklahoma state Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, is calling for action on a law that would require fentanyl education in schools across the state.

09/27/2025

I'm here in Washington D.C. at Trail of Truth a project of Truth Pharm.

Today I am honored to speak on the National Mall at the Trail of Truth, sponsored by Truth Pharm. As the founder of End Native Overdose, I carry with me the stories of those we have lost and the strength of those fighting to end the drug overdose crisis.

There are so many families here today grieving and honoring their loved ones. I'm listening and taking it all in. 💜

09/15/2025

I’m honored to share that I’ve been invited to speak at Truth Pharm's Trail of Truth in Washington, D.C. on September 27.

As the founder of End Native Overdose, this opportunity means so much to me. The Trail of Truth is a powerful event that remembers the lives we’ve lost to overdose and demands action to prevent more loss. I’ll be speaking for my community, for Native families, and for everyone still struggling.

Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare to travel and share this message. 💜

08/31/2025

🕊️ Today is International Overdose Awareness Day.

As a proud member of the Pit River Nation and a new student at TCU, I carry my community and this mission with me everywhere I go.

Native people face the highest overdose death rates in the U.S. Every life lost is sacred, every life saved matters. I’m more committed than ever to advancing the work of End Native Overdose, supporting TCU’s Native American & Indigenous Peoples Initiative, and building new ways for my tribe to be part of this effort.

More updates and an exciting announcement soon.

On Overdose Awareness Day, a Pit River Nation student at TCU renews her commitment to End Native Overdose and shares what’s ahead.

05/16/2025

Some good news on this Friday: "All but two states saw declines last year, with and experiencing small increases. Some of the biggest drops were in , and other states that have been hard-hit in the nation’s decades-long overdose epidemic."

❓ What's driving the decrease??

‼️ Increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone

‼️ Expanded addiction treatment.

‼️ Shifts in how people use drugs.

‼️ Growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money.

‼️ Number of at-risk Americans is shrinking, after waves of deaths in older adults and a shift in teens and younger adults away from the drugs that cause most deaths.

There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded.

05/05/2025

Today, May 5, is Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women awareness ( ) day. The MMIW crisis is a serious issue impacting Native American and Alaska Native women, with murder rates on reservations being up to 10x higher than the national average.

I live in Oklahoma where Native American women experience a much higher murder rate of murder than other women, according to data from the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board and the House Committee on Appropriations. In fact, Native American women here are murdered at a rate more than 46 percent higher than their proportion of the adult female population in Oklahoma.

On this day, we wear red dresses or display red dresses or place red imprints of our hands over our faces in an attempt to raise awareness of MMIW.

Indigenous people across North America are rallying to plead for sustained responses to violence in their communities

05/05/2025

The Spirit Lake, Standing Rock and Turtle Mountain tribes in North Dakota have joined numerous counties and cities across the country in suing pharmaceutical companies that distribute opioids.
https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/nd-tribes-join-lawsuit-suing-opioid-distributors''