Rocky Boy Senior Center closed due to meth

The Chippewa Cree Tribe’s Rocky Boy Senior Center is temporarily closed after a residue test performed Tuesday revealed the presence of methamphetamine contaminants in the building, officials said Wednesday.

Chippewa Cree Tribal Chair Harlan Baker said the center will be closed in the interest of public health while cleanup of the contamination is underway before another test is conducted.

Baker said the tribe hopes to re-open the building next week.

The tests conducted at the senior center were not prompted by any reports of meth use at the senior center, Baker said, but is one of several tests being done on public tribal buildings to protect public health and clean up meth contaminants after an uptick in meth use on the reservation and in the north-central Montana communities in recent years.

“We are being proactive and keeping people safe, so we are doing periodic tests on all our public facilities to keep everybody out of harm’s way,” Baker said.

Baker said other buildings have been tested, but he can’t remember when and if the results came back positive for contaminants.

In a press release issued Wednesday, Baker said the Chippewa Cree Business Committee is applying for federal grants to help subsidize the cost of additional tests and the cleanup of tribal public facilities contaminated by meth.

He added that the Chippewa Cree Business Committee also passed a resolution in September to establish a program known as “WAR SHIELD” that would create a tribal drug task force to collect and analyze drug related data, establish rules of engagement for illegal search and seizure, enforce drug laws, partner with other programs on the local, regional and national level.

The program will also begin the process of updating the tribal law and order code as it relates to illegal drugs and establish a longterm plan to address drug use.

Senior center administrative staff have been temporarily relocated to the tribal office building, Baker said. People can call or visit the office and ask for Senior Center Interim Director Charlotte BigKnife to fill out paper work for energy assistance programs or regarding meals.

Kitchen staff at the center have been relocated to the in the former cafe on the Stone Child College campus, where meals for seniors will be prepared, he said.