COMMUNITY TAKES A STAND AGAINST DRUGS

Beating drums and singing warrior songs, about 60 people marched
through Sechelt Indian Band lands last Friday to take a stand against
drug and alcohol abuse and offer help to those afflicted.

Twenty-three letters were delivered by marchers to homes identified
as having someone living within that allegedly sold or used illegal drugs.

Some responses were angry while others were joyful, saying thank you
to the crowd for their support.

"They know we have a good purpose to being here today and some of
these people are victims in their own homes from family members who
are selling and using. They care about that family member and we do
too -- that's why banishment won't work. It's not the person we are
against, it's the thing they are doing. And that, they can change,"
said Lori Dixon, member of the Taking Back Our Community Society that
organized the march.

The letters delivered that day laid out the legalities of using and
selling drugs and alcohol and said that "Illegal activities regarding
drugs and alcohol are not supported or given permission to in our
community oppression of our community is not supported. Abusers of
our community do not have the community's permission to abuse
themselves and the rest of us. You are destroying both your personal
and all our children's futures with these illegal activities."

The letters went on to say the group does support an individual's
choice to be a healthy, contributing member of the community, that
"you as a person in our community are valued" and that the Society
would help individuals get clean and change their lives. Information
about support programs already in place was attached with the letters.

"Our forefathers were proud to engage in the struggle for our
community to survive and thrive once again. Let us all honour that.
Let us all build on that. Let us not be oppressive to our own selves.
Let us all be strong and proud and say that we have all done our part
in building a strong, safe and thriving community for our children,
adults and elders to live happier lives in. Let us all start today."

People supporting the march included children, adults, elders, RCMP
members and politicians sporting signs saying: "Smoke fish not
crack," "Kids need hugs not drugs" and "Build a nation not a record."

Chief Stan Dixon, Sechelt Mayor Cam Reid, Powell River - Sunshine
Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to
Sky Country MP Blair Wilson and School District No. 46 board chair
Greg Russell came out to show their support, all noting they felt the
cause was a worthy and deserving one.

Lori Dixon noted the march was organized after drugs had been sold to
children as young as eight years old on Band lands. "It's
unacceptable, and we won't tolerate it as a community," she said.

Before the march started she said there had been some intimidation in
the community that caused some people not to come out to the march.
She added, "That is why we are doing this -- for those people. And
we're going to do it if there's only two of us out there."

A low turnout wasn't a problem in the end, with dozens of supporters
joining the march behind the Raven's Cry Theatre around 1 p.m. last
Friday. Elders rode in vehicles lifting hands of support and children
piled in to a canoe on a trailer and a bus that picked up spectators
along the route.

Some spectators sat on their porches smiling and waving at the group
on a mission, while others hid behind curtains, peering out or
mouthing the words "thank you" in the hopes they wouldn't be seen
giving their support.

The two-hour march ended at Sechelt Elementary School (SES) where
songs were sung and speeches given by Society members, politicians,
the RCMP and Our Lady of Lourdes priest John Nicholson.

Taking Back Our Community Society member Carlene Joe read out the
Society's mission statement that said the group believes in
supporting healthy communities.

"We are dedicated to the proposition that there are alternatives to
dealing with the major problem of illegal drugs and alcohol abuse in
our community. These alternatives include supporting cultural and
recreational activities for individuals and for families. This
Society will focus on fundraising to support events and programs that
benefit our community. Our main goal is helping provide positive
reinforcement and supporting positive choices away from the
oppression of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol by supporting
community building activities," Joe read.

Chief Stan Dixon thanked the Society for their efforts to make the
march a reality.

"For me this is a very emotional situation that we have had in the
last four or five hours," Dixon said. "The thinking and anticipating
of what was going to happen gave me a little fear that it wouldn't
work. It reminds me of the courage that took place here to make this
an awareness day and the Taking Back Our Community group should get a
really big hand. I would do that every day if I could. I want people
to understand that it took courage."

Some courage was found by marchers with the help of the Sunshine
Coast RCMP who were on hand to offer support and back up if needed.
RCMP members thanked the community for allowing them to take part in
the march during the closing ceremonies at SES and noted they plan to
continue to be involved with the Society in the future as they
continue to work towards a healthy and safe community.

Wilson and Simons offered their support in the future as well and
congratulated the Society for what it has achieved so far. "It's been
an honour and a privilege to join you today. You all deserve a debt
of thanks from the community," said Wilson. "I'm so impressed at how
everyone was able to come out today and show their strength as a
community. I think that's the one thing that binds us all together --
our belief in having strong, healthy and safe communities. I'd also
just like to say if there's anything I can do to continue the work
that was started today it would be my privilege. I'm at your service,
and I think with your guidance the job I can do here in the community
and the job I can do for you in Ottawa has been made a lot easier
with your help."

Simons noted the community's struggle is far from over and is
influenced by policies made by government.

"Your struggle against the things that cause problems in the
community is an ongoing struggle," Simons said. "The fact that you're
trying hard and continuing that struggle shows a lot about your
strength. Stay with it. And I think taking back your community is an
important statement. I always like to point out that with alcohol and
drugs -- some people say they are the cause of the problems and some
people say they're the symptoms of the problems. I think it's good
for us to think about what Carlene said about spiritual and cultural
effort to re-discover some of the things that were lost through the
policies of previous governments, federal and provincial. We must
always remember at the root of the problem, the causes of the problem
have a lot to do with the societal changes caused by governments and
the poverty that exists."

At the end of the day community members vowed to continue their fight
against drug and alcohol abuse and the Society planned to continue
fundraising and planning events to support those wanting to break
free from the cycle of abuse. The Band council also planned to look
at its own laws around drug and alcohol use and propose some changes
to the community to make the laws more enforceable.

"This is not the end. It's just the beginning, and we still have a
lot of work to do," Lori Dixon added.