Lodge Grass community works to rebuild after years of meth addiction

In Lodge Grass, Montana, members of the Crow Tribe are working to rebuild their community after years of widespread meth addiction left homes abandoned and families fractured, according to KFF Health News. Brothers Lonny and Teyon Fritzler, who both struggled with meth addiction for years, returned to their hometown after leaving to recover. Their family property has sat empty and in disrepair, a condition common in the town of about 500 people on the Crow Indian Reservation, the outlet reported.

An estimated 60% of Lodge Grass residents age 14 and older struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, according to a local survey contracted by the Mountain Shadow Association, a Native-led nonprofit. The organization has led efforts to remove abandoned buildings and construct new spaces, including a child care center and a planned addiction recovery campus known as Kaala’s Village. Community members say the new construction represents early signs of renewal after decades of harm caused by meth, according to KFF Health News.