With the federal government expected to legalize recreational marijuana use by 2018, Indigenous people across Turtle Island are trying to stay one jump ahead of the competition. The National Indigenous Medical Cannabis Association (NIMCA) was officially launched on Saturday in Tyendinaga, with the goal to promote and defend Indigenous peoples relationship with cannabis. "We are not allowing the Canadian government to regulate the Indigenous medical cannabis industry. You know who is going to regulate that? Indians," said Brian Marquis, who was elected at the president of NIMCA's Ontario chapter. [continues 806 words]
Coca Leaves Are Not Cocaine Leaving Listuguj and Campbellton for a journey to South America is always exciting, as is coming back. With a grant from the Quebec Art Council, I went to Peru to do a research about coca leaves, a plant that Andean people have used for more than 5,000 years. They call it Mama-Coca or Mother-Coca and I brought three leaves with me. Arriving at the Montreal airport, the custom officer was unequivcal. "There are drugs and we have zero tolerance for drugs," she said before seizing the leaves. [continues 1474 words]
Recognizes Grand Chief Gabriel Issued Criminal Badge, Pepper Spray The Quebec Police Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint filed by former Kanehsatake police officer Terry Cross against Terry Isaac concerning the Richard Walsh case. Walsh was hired in 1997 to do undercover work for the Kanesatake Mohawk Police even though he was never a sworn-in police officer. In the complaint Cross alleged that Isaac provided confidential police information to Walsh, who is a civilian, regarding himself and his brother Tracey. This, the complaint alleged, was done in contravention to the Code of Ethics of Quebec Police Officers. Under this code it is prhibited for police officers to hand over to a civilian CPIC/QPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre and Quebec Police Informatin Centre) statements from police information centres. [continues 641 words]
Many people are asking what is the cost of the Kanesatake Mohawk Police as the force grows in size. While the actual figures are not public, one can get a close approximation based on a draft budget made up last year for a three-month operation for Kanehsatake. In a document dated August 19, 2003, and titled 'Kanehsatake Drug Operation - - approximate cost for a three-month drug operation,' one gets a good insight into the cost of the current KMP operation. [continues 312 words]
Despite hours of coverage by major news networks and thousands of words in newspapers and magazines, chances are you're confused by that conflict at Kanehsatake Mohawk Territory near Montreal in January. It began as a story about a crime-fighting chief. It evolved into a tale about mob rule. And it wound up as an account of a government taking the bull by the horns. By that time, the media should have known better, but they'd moved on leaving us wondering just what is happening in this community. [continues 1098 words]
A health educator from the Southern California Indian Centers' Job and Health Fair facetiously told a reported in the mid-90s, "We don't have an AIDS problem in the Native American Community. We don't have homosexuals and we don't use needle drugs." She stressed that this denial of a pending AIDS crisis in the indigenous population was what made the communities, already threatened by alcoholism and diabetes so vulnerable. Nearly two years later a Canadian study reports that while the majority of Aboriginal Canadian youths surveyed received HIV/AIDS information at school, seven out of ten reported having unprotected sex. The rate of AIDS among U.S. tribal communities is about 2,540 - over 2,000 of which are males. [continues 933 words]
Drug Dealers Beware The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake is looking at bringing the Banishment Law back to the forefront. MCK Chief Lloyd Phillips said this movement was spurred by ongoing drug awareness meetings between the MCK, Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services, Peacekeepers and the Kahnawake Education system. Members of these organizations have been meeting monthly since October to look at ways to combat the drug problem in Kahnawake. The Banishment Law is one of the most important of the initiatives to come out of these meetings. [continues 596 words]
I'm writing this because of a conversation I had with some friends recently. The gist of the conversation was that we couldn't believe the extent of the drug problem in this community and how little some people think of this problem. The fact is there is a real problem in Kahnawake when it comes to drugs. As recently as ten years ago the biggest thing a high school student had to worry about was peer pressure to smoke marijuana. Now high school students have to worry about being pressured into snorting cocaine or smoking crack. [continues 581 words]
The RCMP put an end to a major criminal organization involved in smuggling and exporting marijuana to the United States through Akwesasne. The drug ring also sold cocaine to various places across Ontario. The two-year investigation culminated with the execution of search warrants across Quebec at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13. The Kanehsatake Mohawk Police, Akwesasne Mohawk Police and the Kahnawake Peacekeepers assisted the RCMP in the execution of warrants in Kanehsatake and Akwesasne. The RCMP has reason to believe that this smuggling ring has ties to the Hell's Angels biker gang. Because three of those arrested have close ties with gang members. [continues 549 words]
Two Kahnawakehro:non who were convicted on drug offenses will be doing their community service somewhat different than the norm. The Sate'shen:naien Program reached an agreement with both the Court of Kahnawake and the Longueuil Court on February 3. This agreement is to implement a rehabilitation program that will educate community members who are convicted on drug offenses. The participants have to serve 180 hours as a part of this program and KSCS can terminate it at any point in time if they feel the participants aren't trying or benefiting from it. [continues 329 words]
A drug raid at Kanehsatake last week led to a hail of accusations and counter-accusations, gunfire, the firing of Larry Ross acting Chief of the Kanehsatake Mohawk Police and a reported assault upon Grand Chief James Gabriel. Reports last Friday suggested there had been trees and powerlines felled affecting the residents. Other reports suggested that SQ riot police had been called and roadblocks set up in the community. Commenting on the situation Friday morning, a distressed Margaret Gabriel, mother of Grand Chief Gabriel said"The community is in turmoil. the roads are blocked. I'm scared for James and my daughter (Melanie) who is a policewoman. The criminal element has taken over the community. I hear my son got roughed up, but I'd rather not say anymore. I'm more scared now than I was in 1990. [continues 1040 words]
On December 15 the Peacekeepers will welcome a drug detector dog to their ranks. The dog will be handled by Peacekeeper Kelvin Phillips. Kahnawake will become the first Native community to have its own dog for the purpose of drug detection and prevention. Phillips is currently being trained at a Canada Customs training facility in Rigaud. The training began on October 10. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake unanimously supported the project at their meeting on Friday, October 13. 'Speaking to the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, we're the first in Canada; a First Nations [community] that has their own detector drug dog,' Chief Peacekeeper Mike Stalk said. 'There are Native communities that have dogs, but they are contracted by other policing agencies.' [continues 263 words]
Warriors' Stick Battles Substance Abuse We've had rocks and tear gas aimed at us, so a few apples aren't going to bother us.' So said anti-drug crusader Selma Delisle of Kahnawake in an interview at her home last Friday after she and some of her colleagues were bombed with apples by alleged drug dealers and addicts. Delisle, along with Wilma Lahache, Molly Sky and Lynn Norton, were pelted with the fruit twice recently as they set up an anti-drug vigil on the Old Malone Highway near Lafleur's where many local kids hang out. [continues 1177 words]
Recently, one of our young people right here in Kahnawake overdosed on some drugs and ended up in the hospital. His bad trip may last the rest of his life. As a community, haven't we learned anything yet? What has to happen before people realize that illegal drugs injure, maim and kill? As much as we try to educate our youth on the dangers of drug abuse, it never seems to sink in. There is no reason for anyone to die. The peer pressure on our young people to experiment and use drugs is enormous. It puts every young person at risk, no mater how hard many parents are working to bring up their children the right way. [continues 561 words]
The battle to rid Kahnawake of drugs has just heated up. Picking up where it left off last year, a group of community members has been setting up shop on the Old Malone Highway to bring awareness to the drug problem in Kahnawake. They have also posted a sign on a tree in the Knights of Columbus parking lot which reads, 'Up with hope, down with dope.' In response to this sign, a residence near Kane's Corner posted a sign of its own which says, 'Down with hope, Up with smoke.' There is also what appears to be a marijuana plant pictured on the sign. [continues 331 words]
Would you voluntarily submit yourself to random drug tests by your employer? Would you submit yourself to a random drug test to get a job in Kahnawake? These are the questions that the Executive Directors Committee is asking the employees of the organizations it represents. The EDC represents the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Kahnawake Fire Brigade, Education Center, Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre, Kanien'keha:ka Raotitiohkwa Cultural Center, Step By Step and Mohawk Community Daycare, Kahnawake Youth Center and Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services [end]
The majority of Kahnawake's drug users 'burn' or as most people know it - smoke pot. Many people in Kahnawake may not realize, while others are only too aware, that teenagers in Kahnawake are trying, experimenting and using drugs in large numbers. Some people would like to believe that drug use in Kahnawake is not a large problem. They say it's worse in other places. That may be the case, but that does not change the fact that various types of drugs are in our community. [continues 469 words]
On Saturday, May 1, another protest to rid this community of drugs and drug dealers was organized by Selma Delisle, Molly Sky and Wilma Lahache. They protested on Old Malone Highway, with community members honking their horns as they passed in a show of support. Following, that evening, was a fire vigil for our community, with a huge increase in supporters. It was approximately 10:00 p.m. when I arrived. Cars were parked on the street and at Kanienkeha Plaza. A warm fire, hot coffee and chili and friendly and welcoming people greeted everyone as they showed up. I spoke to some of the supporters of drug intolerance to find out their feelings on the fire vigils. [continues 289 words]
Residents Respond to Drug Issue Since the drug march held almost two weeks ago, there have been demonstrations held spontaneously throughout the community. These demonstrations have been organized by a core group of women made up of Wilma Lahache, Molly Sky and Selma Delisle. Last week there were two demonstrations held in front of and behind the home of Allan T. Diabo, a Kahnawake resident who was arrested on drug charges twice last year. Another one of these protests was held this past Tuesday at Noon in front of the home of Marc "Full Blast" Lahache. [continues 222 words]
Many Kahnawakero:non have become fed up with the drug problem in our community. To show their dissatisfaction with this situation, several hundred people marched from the tunnel to the Karonhianonhnha School down the Old Malone Highway. People began gathering at the tunnel around Noon and the march commenced at 1:00 p.m. with the added safety of a police escort. The drug epidemic in Kahnawake affects everyone, which is why people walked together regardless of political or religious beliefs or affiliation. Band Councillors and Peacekeepers walked side by side with some of their biggest detractors. After all, this is not an issue that affects only one part of Kahnawake; it affects everyone. [continues 77 words]
