'Green bean' pills linked to death of mother of five on Bunibonibee Cree Nation

A mother of five children isbelieved to be the second person on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation to die from apill known as thegreen bean.

Earlier this week, a father ofseven died from an overdose thought to be from the same street drug in the northern Manitoba community.

The tablets have also become a source of concernfurther north atShamattawa First Nation, where several people went to the nursing station because of overdoses.

Bunibonibeeisabout 575 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, while Shamattawa is another 175 kilometres further northeast.

BunibonibeeChief Richard Hartdescribedthe whole community as an "extended family"and calledthe young woman's death "a punch in the gut.... Then the heaviness sets in."

Hart says the two people who died werefriendly people who had good lives.

Several people have alsobeen taken to the nursing station on the First Nationwith symptoms of fentanyl overdose.

• 'Green bean' pills linked to several overdoses, death in northern Manitoba over last 3 days, RCMP say

RCMP issued a warning on Sunday about the drug, which they said resemblesoxycodone tablets and may contain fentanyl. Mounties said they believe the tablets are responsible for several overdoses.

"Another death due tothis pill they call the green bean I don't know where it got its name," Hart said Tuesday evening.

Community rallying support

Hart said while there has been so much sadness in his community in the last few days, they have rallied to support the families who have lost their loved ones to the drug.

"When there are times of trouble and turmoil and grief, we do support one another and help one another and try to get through it the best we can," he said.

The community needs help withsolutions to the drug crisis, Hart told CBC News.

He says they need more recreational and employment opportunities, and especially the ability to counsel and treat people with addictions in the community not at facilities in Winnipeg or Thompson.

Hart says it's hard to get past the anger at those who bring in and sell the drugs in his community.

"The drug dealers don't care. They put profit above lives and they don't care about the lives they destroy," he said. "It's so sad and it's so maddening."

But Hart believes his community will recover and will get past the anger.

"We will rally together and support the family.... We will win this battle together," he said.