RESERVE FIGHTS DRUG PROBLEM

Team Eyes Bylaws Aimed To Reduce Substance Abuse, Crime

Drugs and alcohol have been a constant problem on the Mistawasis First
Nation, but planning is being done in an effort to eliminate illegal
drugs and curb the negative effects of alcohol.

Russel "Sam" Badger is leading a team of eight who created an
initiative called the Mistawasis Comprehensive Strategic Planning for
(on-reserve) Illegal Drug Elimination. Badger and his team have been
holding focus groups to discuss how they can address the issues that
accompany drugs and alcohol on their reserve, located about 125
kilometres north of Saskatoon.

"It's a project to address the drugs and alcohol issue in Mistawasis
because there has been too many deaths since the 1960s," Badger said.

Badger said in the last 50 years, about 180 people from the reserve
have died and 50 have disabilities as a result of drugs and alcohol.

Badger and his team intend to reduce crime, fear and death on
Mistawasis while increasing self-respect through bylaws. The bylaws
have not been created, but Badger said the team has an idea as to what
it would like to see done.

Badger would like to see a trespassing bylaw to prevent potential
criminals or drug dealers from entering the community. He also wants
to initiate a program where background checks would be necessary for
people who want to join Mistawasis.

Badger and his team are also in the process of creating a tip line
where people from the reserve can report drug dealers to the RCMP.

According to Badger, the bylaws and tip line will help people protect
Mistawasis from drugs and alcohol as if they were protecting their own
home.

"All these bylaws are being incorporated to support and strengthen the
drug and alcohol program and it will slowly branch out to other areas
like justice and politics," Badger said.

The relationship between the RCMP and Mistawasis First Nation members
needs immediate attention because Badger said there is no personal
communication between the two, and the RCMP response time is too slow.

Badger added criminals on the reserve should be handled by members of
the community in healing circles instead of sending them to prison.

"We need to be able to start taking our people through that healing
process instead of locking them up because most of us suffer from
alcoholism and drug abuse and these things should not be locked up,
they should be treated," Badger said.

As a part of their research, Badger and his team have been getting
feedback from children in grades 5 through 8 at the reserve's school.

"They don't like it because it's affecting them," Badger said. "They
are afraid to walk in different areas and afraid to walk on the
beaches with broken glass and needles and so they are fed up with it."

Badger is well aware of the history of drugs and alcohol on the
reserve but he is confident the team can help create some positive
changes.

"It's not the future for me, it's the future for my children and
grandchildren who have not been born," he said. "I would like to see
it get to the point where our children are conceived in a healthy way
and brought through life in a healthy way."