NATIONAL SPEAKER TALKS DRUGS WITH TREATY 3

People Urged To Share Ideas, Form Partnerships

Assembly of First Nations speaker Dean Fontaine is urging local First
Nations to focus on drug prevention.

An expert on gang activity and aboriginal communities based in Winnipeg,
Fontaine urged people to share ideas and form partnerships, as they fight
together against crystal meth. "It's just starting up and any ideas will be
beneficial to the communities," he said.

His speech was part of a two-day forum sponsored by Treaty 3 at the Best
Western Lakeside Inn. It's part of their new drug prevention strategy,
which chiefs in assembly supported during their spring session at Lac Seul.

Grand Council staff member Marvin Perreault helped organize the sessions,
and explained the four main areas of interest: prevention and education,
policy development, enforcement, as well as recovery and treatment.

As a band member from Eagle Lake, Perreault is already seeing signs of
ecstasy and crystal meth.

"If we don't do anything now, it'll catch like wildfire," he said.

He noted that recovery times are much longer for the harder drugs.

While a 28-day program is fairly standard for alcohol treatment programs,
for harder drugs it can be three to six months, he said, adding about 90
per cent of patients fall back to their old habits.

Grounding in culture

The manager for mental health and addictions at the Kenora Chiefs Advisory,
Dr. Ozzie Seunath, said providing young people with a solid grounding in
their roots was an essential ingredient in any prevention program.

"I don't need to tell you that too many of our young people end up in jail
for what we call stupid crimes," he said.

For this reason, Seunath is helping with a diversion program, designed to
help aboriginal youth out of the legal system.

Restorative Justice program leader Rhonda Kelly summarized the cycle in her
comments.

"We grow up angry and turn to drugs to feel better," she said, noting the
need to improve self-esteem among the next generation.

She also noted the need for cultural sensitivity training for all those who
deal with aboriginal people, including those of First Nations descent.

"We should increase our knowledge of our treaty and our traditions, in
order to make ourselves healthier," she said.

After completing a series of community workshops relating to safety in the
streets, the Grand Council is also looking at ways to improve policies and
procedures within the legal system.

Kelly says there is also a need for a family healing centre, as well as
more resources within communities dealing with alcohol and youth.

One speaker talked about the possibility of using new videoconferencing
technology to connect drug treatment staff with remote First Nations, so
that recovering addicts might not have to travel away from their families
for help.

The forum continues Wednesday, with a speaker talking about the
introduction of drug testing for band council staff.