Pubdate: Sun, 31 Jul 2005
Source: Meadow Lake Progress (CN SN)
Copyright: 2005 Meadow Lake Progress
Contact:  http://www.meadowlakeprogress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2156
Author: Noemi LoPinto

FLYING DUST MAY BAN DRUGS, ALCOHOL

On July 13, approximately 60 people got together to talk about the
effects of drugs and alcohol on Flying Dust First Nation.

It was an emotional occasion, in which some people cried and at least
one person walked out.

It was the second meeting of its kind, organized by three local women
who were tired of seeing the effects of substance abuse on their
neighbors and friends.

"Carla, "Linda", and "Marie" (not their real names) said they made it
clear the meeting was about healing, but also about halting the
rampant drug problem on the reserve.

"For a community our size, it's bad," Carla said. "Flying Dust is the
place to go to get your stuff. We just don't want that reputation anymore."

But the real driving force behind the meetings was Marie, an elder who
works with kids on Flying Dust. She said she was tired of seeing kids
going to school, tired and hungry.

"A lot of our people are on social assistance and living in poverty,"
she said. "But what about the kids? They have no lunches at school.
What happened to the money? The parents spent it on drugs."

Marie placed a ban on the selling of cocaine, marijuana, crack-cocaine
and crystal meth.

She tried to approach the Band Council a few years ago for help, but
their response was unequivocal.

"They said their hands were tied," she recalled. "The RCMP doesn't
have the manpower, and chief and council said people could sue. So,
what? We let everything go?"

This year, the women began to work on their own, organizing meetings
to talk about the impact of drugs in their community.

The first meeting took place in May, with the time and place
communicated by word of mouth. More than 43 people showed up. At the
next meeting a month later, 60 people showed up.

"The RCMP said there was power in numbers and they encouraged us to
bring people together," Carla said.

The group, with band approval, may soon begin issuing warnings to
traffickers.

Flying Dust has a population of approximately 1,200 people. In a
community that small, everyone knows who the sellers are.

The group will also try to organize citizen patrols, report on
incidents of trafficking, or other substance related activities to
police as soon as they occur.

Then, provided they get band approval, they will ban drugs on Flying
Dust entirely. After which point, anyone caught selling illegal
substances could face banishment from the community.

"We need advice," Carla said. "We have a lawyer looking at it right
now. We want to make sure there aren't any loopholes, and it doesn't
infringe on anybody's rights.

Some of the band's council members, including Chief Percy Durocher,
were at the meeting this past month. Council members were unavailable
for comment by press time.

Meadow Lake RCMP officer, Corp Rod Ens, said drug abuse is related to
a host of social ills and criminal behaviors.

"Whether it's the mother or father, sister or brother, it affects
everybody," Ens said. "We catch them and the courts let them go. It's
not the courts' faults either, our whole society doesn't see drug
abuse a serious offense, and it's too bad".

There is one full-time officer from the Meadow Lake detachment
assigned to the community.

"(Banishment) is a last resort," Carla added. "These are good people,
but they don't realize the impact they are having on the community, on
their own families. The bottom line is: quit selling, or leave."

The next community meeting is set to take place in September.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin