In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow community works to rebuild from meth's destruction

"Brothers Lonny and Teyon Fritzler walked amid the tall grass and cottonwood trees surrounding their boarded-up childhood home near the Little Bighorn River and daydreamed about ways to rebuild. The rolling prairie outside the single-story clapboard home is where Lonny learned from their grandfather how to break horses. It's where Teyon learned from their grandmother how to harvest buffalo berries. It's also where they watched their father get addicted to meth."

"Teyon, now 34, began using the drug at 15 with their dad. Lonny, 41, started after college, which he said was partly due to the stress of caring for their grandfather with dementia. Their own addictions to meth persisted for years, outlasting the lives of both their father and grandfather. It took leaving their home in Lodge Grass, a town of about 500 people on the Crow Indian Reservation, to recover."

"Their family property has sat empty for years the horse corral's beams are broken and its roof caved in, the garage tilts, and the house needs extensive repairs. Such crumbling structures are common in this Native American community, hammered by the effects of meth addiction. Lonny said some homes in disrepair would cost too much to fix. It's typical for multiple generations to crowd under one roof,"

Lodge Grass is a town of about 500 people on the Crow Indian Reservation where methamphetamine use is widespread and affects families. Brothers Lonny and Teyon Fritzler learned traditional skills on their family land but also watched their father become addicted; both developed meth addictions that persisted for years and required them to leave the community to recover. Many properties have sat empty and structures are falling into disrepair, with damaged corrals, caved roofs, and tilting garages. Multiple generations crowd into single homes due to cultural practices and a housing shortage. An estimated 60% of residents age 14 and older struggle with drug or alcohol addictions. Signs of renewal are emerging.

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