ADDICTIONS WORKER APPEALS FOR 'DRY RESERVE'

Booze, Drugs Hurting Community, He Says

SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION -- An addictions worker here says alcoholism and
drug use are so widespread that it warrants turning this community into a
"dry reserve."

"One-hundred per cent of this community is affected by alcohol in one way
or another," said Warren Hotain, one of two Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Prevention Program (NADAP) workers at Sioux Valley.

"We've talked about implementing a dry reserve. At least that would give
our police officers the right to stop every vehicle and search it. It could
stop people from drinking on the reserve."

Leaders in numerous aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba, such as
Norway House and Shamattawa, have brought in "dry reserve" bylaws that ban
alcohol and illegal drugs, giving police the power to search for and seize
the substances.

But for now, Sioux Valley's chief and council are tight-lipped about
whether they're considering such a bylaw.

"It's got to be a personal choice," said Chief Vince Tacan. "There's lots
of examples of what alcohol can do to a person, and people should realize
that. We have enough on our plates without telling people how to live their
lives." Eighty-five per cent of criminal offences -- such as spousal
assault and break and enter -- that happen on Sioux Valley are fuelled by
alcohol, estimates Jim Cockburn, acting chief of the Dakota Ojibway Police
Service.

"It's the major cause of our youth doing the crimes," agreed Hotain.

Hotain said he's frustrated by declining attendance in his addictions
programs, particularly in the face of the illegal drugs -- marijuana, hash
and even crystal meth -- he said are now turning up. "I'm sad to say that
it will probably take some kid overdosing on an illegal drug in order for
the community to find out there's a drug problem on this reserve," he said.

Hotain said two years ago, when he started his employment, an average of 15
people came to his group addictions sessions. Now, he says, that average
has shrunk to three. "The clients are not attending our programs," he said.
"The youth are being bullied not to come."

Councillor William McKay said that while council acknowledges the alcohol
and drug problem, Sioux Valley is trying to deal with it through increased
community policing and prevention programs in its schools before doing
anything as drastic as going dry.

The band has just put out job postings for four band constables, who will
partner with DOPS officers to patrol the reserve at night. During that
hiring process, Garth Blacksmith and Mike Wacanta, mechanics with Sioux
Valley public works, are doing the band constable job from 10 p.m. to 2
a.m. on weekdays and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends. Much of their
shift is spent enforcing the curfew the band imposes on minors.

"There's a lot of vandalism going on," said Blacksmith. "A lot of kids are
running around with nothing to do. Windows have been broken at the school,
the gas station got broken into."

Tacan said another of the council's strategies is to keep the community's
youth "busy" with a series of camps and powwows so that they don't turn to
drinking to combat boredom.

Tacan added one of council's long-term goals is for Sioux Valley to build
its own Dakota-based residential treatment centre for alcohol and drug
addicts on Sioux Valley, rather than sending them off to treatment centres
run by other native groups in other parts of the province.