“I’m a hope dealer, not a dope dealer.” That is Nation Wright’s motto today.

Growing up in the Minneapolis American Indian community, Wright saw firsthand how addiction affected his people. Now, as the chief operating officer for the American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC), Wright is concerned about the recent trends.

“Things have gotten dramatically worse,” he said. “The average age of addiction is getting younger and younger. … these are babies, essentially, that are out here struggling.”

Native Americans are disproportionately affected by addiction. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, they are seven times as likely to overdose as white Minnesotans.

“They feel like they’re stuck in this state of hopelessness,” said Wright.

He says community outreach is

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