PETITION STARTED TO RID RESERVE OF GANGS

The severe beating of an 18-year-old Stand Off man last month has
brought back a flood of memories for Elvis Shot On Both Sides.

"Everything I thought I had left behind me all came back," he said,
adding not long ago he would break down whenever he talked about his
son.

Casey First Charger, was murdered two years ago in what Shot On Both
Sides says was a gang-related act. Shot On Both Sides believes the
same people involved in that attack were also involved in last month's
attack, which saw a group of men assault August Joel Many Fingers in
the early morning of July 24. Many Fingers sustained serious head
injuries and was airlifted by STARS air ambulance service to Foothills
Hospital in Calgary where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

Shot On Both Sides, with the help of Norman Many Fingers and Doris
Faye Bird, has developed a petition to get gang members off the reserve.

Many Fingers' son was the victim of the latest attack and Bird's son
was also murdered two years ago in gang-related violence.

"The reserve is getting worse each year and people are desperate for
resolution," Shot On Both Sides said.

Money laundering, drug-dealing, home invasions and violent beatings
are just some of the activities Shot On Both Sides said are taking
place on the reserve.

With what he called as a lack of action from the Blood Tribe Police
Service on the matter, Shot On Both Sides and his supporters have
decided to take matters into his own hands.

"We've consulted the public and we will be using this petition to have
these gang members banned from the reserve," Shot On Both Sides said,
adding he hopes to get them banned for a minimum of 25 years.

Shot On Both Sides planned to set up at the Lavern Community Hall last
week where he has the petition for concerned residents to sign and
will also be showing 12 hours of videotape he has collected
documenting the gang violence on the reserve.

Shot On Both Sides hopes to get 2,500 signatures on the petition
before he presents it to Blood Tribe chief and council in a couple of
weeks.

Shot On Both Sides said he will have "no problem" getting 2,500
signatures.

Sgt. Joe Many Fingers of the Blood Tribe Police disputes the notion
there has been a lack of police action.

"They feel nothing is being done but there were charges and
convictions in the deaths of Mr. Shot On Both Sides and Mrs. Bird and
charges have been laid in the assault of Mr. Many Fingers," he said.

Acknowledging there is a gang problem on the reserve, Sgt. Many
Fingers said there are things being discussed to improve the situation.

"We're currently organizing a meeting with several different agencies
here to discuss plans to deal with the situation," he said.

Shot On Both Sides is also working to get rid of the Blood Tribe
Police and return the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the reserve to
improve accountability.

"Residents don't depend on the Blood Tribe Police anymore," he
said.

Sgt. Many Fingers said to solely blame the Blood Tribe Police would be
wrong.

"It's part of a social problem and many different agencies will have
to be involved to find a solution," he said. "It's too much of a
deep-rooted social problem to change overnight."