SASKATOON — Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Fourth Vice Chief Heather Bear and Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Executive Director Neil Sasakamoose believe the federal government needs to have a different approach in dealing with incidents where fatalities could be avoided and prevented.
Bear and Sasakamoose gave their separate opinions following FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron’s recent statement calling on the federal government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to act on several tragic incidents experienced in recent weeks by First Nations people, events that could have ended on a positive note.
The Saskatchewan RCMP, in a statement sent to SASKTODAY, said they recognize the importance of working closely with Indigenous communities and other partner agencies.
“It is through collaboration with them that we can work together to implement situation or community-specific initiatives to help reduce harm.”
They said their thoughts have always been on the families of those who lost their loved ones while emphasizing that they are committed to cracking down on illegal drugs.
“Our officers see the harm trafficking illegal drugs causes and we remain focused on investigating and charging those involved.”
“Our officers are committed to fostering strong relationships in the communities we serve. We will continue to work with our partner agencies to reduce harm in the communities we all call home,” added the RCMP in the statement.
Bear said First Nations and Indigenous Peoples have lost a lot of lives due to overdoses of dangerous opioids like fentanyl — tragic events that have affected all ages in their communities. She said healthcare services, like detox centres, should be made available to people who are most in need.
Gap in health services
“What bothers me is there's a gap in our health services. In order to go for treatment, you need go into detox. But, these detox centres, they are always full. So, they [patients] are always waiting — two weeks, three weeks, a month — and some of them never get there,” Bear told SASKTODAY.
She suggested that Jordan’s Principle — the child-first and needs-based principle that ensures First Nations children have access to all government-funded services — can also be adapted in a broader scope.
“Where immediately you can get help, we need some kind of triage. We need some kind of place for healing, to keep them grounded and keep them on that [recovery] path.”
Bear said people who are addicts are also looking at moving out of their addiction.
“No one wants to be an addict and they're just not getting the help they need. We have to really take a serious look at this because our people are grieving, all over in our community. We've had murders, suicides, and murder-suicides. It's just been such a devastating time for our people.”
She said the health restrictions and lockdown imposed by the provincial government due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic did not help the situation.
“People are moving around out of isolation. The isolation exacerbated some of the depression and addiction that was already there, and now it's getting a hold of our people.
“It's sad because many are leaving little children behind to face that trauma. So, you know the cycle will continue if we don’t deal with it and come up with solutions that are real. And it's not just adequate resources, we need substantial resources. Our government needs to treat this crisis, like what they did against COVID. Coming together, uniting as a country uniting us First Nations and ... taking up the war on drugs. You know it's got to happen.”
A need for safety
Sasakamoose, meanwhile, said safety is the main thing they need to have in every community or reserve.
“Just a sense of being safe. How we create safe environments. That’s based on the RCMP, it’s their job."
They have two jobs, said Sasakamoose. One is acting as the legal enforcement of the Criminal Code in Canada, but before that, he said, they were created to keep First Nations safe.
"The RCMP has been spread so thin that they're ineffective. They are ineffective on reserve. In some cases, they might have success, but in an overall strategy they are ineffective on our reserves."
Sasakamoose added, “They're almost, in some cases, are a non-essential service now. They are dated as an organization. They're not current with what's happening on a reserve. I think they're trying to make attempts to correct what they're been doing. But they have some steep learning curves that they still got to go through.
“Their community policing plans are non-effective. They're operating off of 1980 ideology and that's not cutting it right now. There's outbreaks — crystal meth on our reserves. You’ll notice First Nations taking those meth dealers and drug houses, they’re taking them into their own control now. They are going there and banning them.”
He said despite the First Nations communities acting on their own, the RCMP did support their moves.
“They have to ban houses and close them up and kick them out. They [Bands] are doing that on their own. If you tried to do that in Saskatoon, or in a city as a landlord you went there and told them you have to leave, you can’t do that. But the Bands are in a position they have to do that. The legal enforcement arm — the RCMP — have removed themselves somehow. And then we are making them accountable, moving forward.”
Sasakamoose also thinks that the government has been in a “Catch 22” loop when it comes to issues about First Nations, especially after an election.
Leaders have an obligation
“My personal view is, it’s not relevant who are the leaders of the day because they [leaders] have an obligation for our people and the activities on the reserves.”
“We get caught into policy discussions or in the middle of these discussions between two or three parties that have platforms, it's not really relevant, too, because at the end of the day they still look at us [Indigenous Peoples] as a social program. That’s why there’s still no clean drinking water, or the RCMP issues, these are going to reoccur and reoccur.”
He challenged all three major parties in Parliament, especially the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Good luck to the Liberal government. I hope the Liberal government, the Conservative Party, and the New Democratic Party — these three parties — put all their issues in the backseat and run this country collectively.”
“Because that's what they've been given. They've been given the mandate to run this country collectively. If we have to do it on local levels — we all have to get along to get through the days — they have to do the same thing. So, all the meandering and pondering around the issues, it's not relevant. People have told them it's not relevant.”
