The first Indigenous-led recovery community has opened on the Blood Tribe, which will help those struggling with addiction.
The first Indigenous-led recovery community has opened on the Blood Tribe, which will help those struggling with addiction.
The Blood Tribe Iitakamotsiipiohsopi Recovery Community is the first of five Indigenous-led recovery communities to open in Alberta, which is expanding the access to recovery-oriented and culturally appropriate addiction treatment.
This is a 75-bed recovery community, and will provide a no-cost, land-based treatment, and is a partnership between Alberta’s government and the Blood Tribe/Kainaiwa, which is rooted in respect and reconciliation.
Capital funding was provided by the provincial government for construction and is committed to providing long-term operational funding for the recovery community.
The Nation owns and manages the recovery community and is operated by the Blood Tribe Department of Health.
This community was built, and will be operated, in alignment with community priorities, cultural considerations, and local governance.
“For too many families, addiction has taken a real toll. This first-of-its-kind recovery community, led by the Blood Tribe, creates a place where people can heal, rebuild their lives and reconnect with their community. With this recovery community, more Albertans will break the cycle of addiction and rebuild their lives,” Premier Smith stated in a release.
Through this recovery community, clients will be able to access comprehensive services that embody the Nation’s culture, ceremony, identity, family, and community in order to help meet the needs of Indigenous people and those who live in southern Alberta.
“Today is the realization of a dream our community has held for a long time. Iitakamotsiipiohsopi means ‘a place to recover,’ and we honour those who advocated tirelessly for safe, stable aftercare support on the Blood Reserve. It has been our privilege to carry that vision forward, and we are elated to see it become a reality,” Saakooyinaa, Kash Shade, CEO, Blood Tribe Department of Health, also added in the statement.
The first clients will begin their treatment this month.
As part of Budget 2026, it invests $29.6 million to open and operate five Indigenous-led communities this year.
On top of the one on the Blood Tribe, there will be one in Siksika Nation, Enoch Cree Nation, Tsuut’ina Nation, and Métis Nation of Alberta.
Once those recovery communities are completed, it will add 375 new beds to the addiction treatment system, which will be capable of helping up to 1,500 individuals enter recovery each year.
Recovery communities, at no cost, provide live-in addiction treatment, and those in recovery can stay for upwards of one year as they address their substance use, while building wholistic wellness, develop healthy habits, and social skills.
Not only that, but clients will receive employment training and other support that are needed for long-term recovery, and supports are tailored to the individual, which include cultural integration to help people reconnect with their community and heal.
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