MAMAWOHKAMATOTAN
WORKING TOGETHER
SAMSON SAFE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE REPORT
Samson Community Task Force
November, 2008
This report is the property of Samson Cree Nation and any reproduction must have permission of the Samson Cree Nation Chief and Council.
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Dedication
The children of our community deserve to live in a safe environment & this report is dedicated to them.
Samson Cree Nation Safe Community Task Force Koren Lightning-Earle, Janet Swampy, Angela Boysis-Bull, Dennis Greene, Wendy Erick, Elizabeth A. Rowan, Rod Saddleback, Georgina Baptiste, Perry Cardinal and Don Ladouceur Assistant Charmaine Soosay Elder Theresa Boysis Graphics designed and created by Shelli Yellowbird B.Mgt. Report Written By Technical Team Charlene Northwest, B.Comm Sheila Carr-Stewart, Ph.D.
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SYNOPSIS
On April 13, 2008 the violence on Samson Cree Nation hit a climax. A 23 month-old girl was shot due to the escalating situation of gang violence. The community of Samson Cree Nation was shocked and overwhelmed. A community meeting was held to address the situation and the issues that have plagued Samson. The meeting went on for an entire day and many recommendations were put forth and a Task Force was created. This report was created by the
Samson Cree Nation Safe Community Task Force and is based upon the 171 recommendations put forth on the day the community of Samson came together to put a stop to gang violence. The recommendations put forth in this report are assumed to include the Samson Cree Nation
Members at Pigeon Lake. This report comes from a place of hope and love; this report comes from the hearts and minds of the members of Samson Cree Nation.1
1 The 171 recommendations were summarized and categorized into 69 recommendations and are available in Appendix A
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It takes a community….
This Report provides a holistic approach to gang prevention and intervention. The Report is set within the lived reality for First Nations people in Canada who face a crisis in housing and living conditions; increased rates of suicide, diabetes, and tuberculosis; a widening educational gap with other Canadians; and lack jobs and economic opportunities.2
Diagram is adapted from Chettleburg, M. (2008) un published presentation
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION ...... 2
SYNOPSIS………………………………………………………………………………..3
IT TAKES A COMMUNITY …………………………………………………………….4
CHAPTER ONE ...... 7 Samson Cree Nation ...... 7 Oil and a New Era ...... 10 Illegal Drug and Gang ...... 11 Provincial Action ...... 12 Maskwacis Community ...... 13 Samson Safe Community Task Force……………………………………………………14
CHAPTER TWO ...... 17 Youth gangs ...... 17 Youth Gang Definition ...... 17 History of Street Gangs ...... 18 Aboriginal Gangs ...... 21 Indian Posse ...... 21 The Warriors and Native Syndicate ...... 22 The Lure and Falsified Prestige of Youth Gang Membership ...... 22 Developmental Strategies and Key Indicators of Gangs ...... 24 Family Factors ...... 27 Community Factors ...... 28 Gang Prevention and Intervention: Protective Approaches ...... 31
CHAPTER THREE-Education and Employment ...... 36 Reviews & Committees ...... 36 Indian Control of Indian Education ...... 38 Nipisihkopahk Education Authority ...... 39 First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model ...... 44 Samson First Nation and Education……………………………………………………...45 Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………...48
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CHAPTER FOUR ...... 57
Demographics ...... 57 Employment………………………………………………………………………..58 First Nations Children ...... 60 Child Poverty ...... 61 Children in Care ...... 62 Children and Health ...... 63 Family Housing ...... 64 Health and Wellness Issues ...... 65 Family Violence ...... 66 Healthy Eating ...... 68 Mortality ...... 70 Crime and Victimization ...... 74 Drugs and Alcohol ...... 75 Recommendations…………………………………………………………… 76
CHAPTER FIVE ...... 82
GOVERNANCE & STRUCTURE...... 82
Structure ...... 85 Recommendations ...... 86
CHAPTER SIX ...... 94
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION ...... 94
REFERENCES ...... 96
APPENDIX A ...... 104
APPENDIX B…………………………………………………………………………..109
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CHAPTER 1
“Committed to the future…Inspired by our past”3
Indigenous people have lived and prospered “on this land from time immemorial”
(Cardinal & Hildebrandt, 2000, p. 10) and throughout their history established “vibrant relationships between the people, their ecosystems, and the other living beings and spirits that share their lands” (Battiste & Henderson, 2002, p. 42). The teachings of Elders, as well as relationships and connections within the community provided knowledge and strength to live a balanced life and provided a sense of place. Yet colonialism, disease, marginalization, socio- economic factors, the Indian Act, and residential schools have challenged Indigenous communities to the very core of their beliefs. Leroy Little Bear (2000) has referred to the clash between Aboriginal and Eurocentric philosophy, values, and customs as “jagged worldviews colliding.” The challenge in the twenty-first century Little Bear argued is to understand and address those differences, to move forward, to give focus to a holistic lifestyle. To not simply return to the past but rather to seek balance, to re-build relationships, to re-gain a sense of place, to espouse cultural and spiritual beliefs, and to take hold of the future. The Elders Symposium held at Samson Cree Nation in April 2007 called for their people to take control, “to realize where we came from, acknowledge how we got here and then to move forward and take care of our community, ourselves and our children…the people of Maskwacis are tradition oriented and the solutions we find lay in our principles, values and philosophy” (Crier, 2007).
The Samson Cree Nation comprises of the Samson Cree community located at
Maskwacis and the Mameo Beach community located at Pigeon Lake. Both communities form the Samson Cree Nation. For the purposes of this report the two communities are referred to as
3 Samson Cree Nation News, 1(8)
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Samson Cree Nation. The Samson Cree Nation throughout their history met and traded with tribal groups across what is today western Canada and south into the United States. Along with other Cree communities they subsequently became important partners in the lucrative fur trade in the nineteenth century (Ray, 1998). With the decline of the fur trade, the Cree sought an alternative economic lifestyle and negotiated Treaty 6 with the Crown representatives. Treaty 6 assured the Cree of benefits to accrue including land, agricultural implements, training, future prosperity, and a variety of services including education and health. The Treaty Commissioners assured the Cree their “daily life” – worldview – “would not [be] interfered with” (Morris
1880/1991, p. 193). Yet the “jagged” worlds have collided for the Samson Cree: no where is it more evident than in the issues within their community today.
The 2006 Canadian Census reported that 1,172,790 people identified themselves as
Aboriginal people of whom 60% or 698,025 self-identified as First Nation. “Between 1996-
2006, the Aboriginal population in Canada grew by 45%, nearly six times faster than the 8% rate for the non-Aboriginal population” (TASC, 2008, p. 1). The majority of First Nations people live in Ontario and the western provinces: 158,395 First Nations people (23%) lived in Ontario;
129,580 (19%) in British Columbia; 100,645 (14%) in Manitoba; 97,275 (14%) in Alberta; and
91,400 (13%) in Saskatchewan. Together people in these areas account for 83% of the total
First Nation population in Canada (Statistics Canada, Catalogue no 97-558, p. 38-40). In
Alberta, the total Aboriginal population (First Nation, Métis) is estimated at 188,365 or 6% of the total provincial population. Samson Cree Nation, located in central Alberta has a population of 7,000 people an increase of 2,000 individuals during the last eight years.
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Table 1-1 Samson Cree Nation population by age group as of June 20084
The graph below demonstrates the growth of the Samson Cree Nation membership from
2000-2008.
Figure 1-1: Samson Cree Nation Population Growth5
4 Compiled from Samson Membership data
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OIL AND A NEW ERA
The discovery of oil in Albert in 1947 changed the province from a predominately rural and agricultural entity to an urban economy dominated by the oil and gas industry. Revenues from the latter industry have facilitated a debt free provincial budget and the establishment of the
Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund which as of June 2008 totaled $17.1 billion. In 2006, the
Alberta economy outpaced the national economy for the fifth consecutive year. It is an economic boom which continues to create jobs. The unemployment rate for Canada in October
2008 was 6.1% (Statistics Canada) with Alberta having the countries lowest unemployment rate
(3.6%). Job opportunities have attracted an inward migration. The total Alberta provincial population has grown significantly over the last decade: the 2006 Census numbered 3,290,350 slightly less than a 10% increase over the 2001 census.
The economic boom in the province has also contributed to “an estimated 10.7% increase in total personal income” (Alberta, 2008, p. 119). Such benefits are not, however, distributed evenly among provincial residents. While Samson Cree Nation has monies held in trust for its members as a result of drilling on its lands, the provincial economy and job creation has not benefited Samson First Nations residents to the same degree. Samson Cree Nation members and
Aboriginal people in general are not hired at the same rate as other Canadians. The unemployment rate on reserves is more than four times the average Canadian rate: 6% vs. 24%
(TASC2008/02/28). Furthermore, those Aboriginal people who do secure employment are over represented in certain occupations and under representatives in others. 13% of Aboriginal people are employed in public administration (including First Nation local administration) compared to only 5.8% in the total labor force. On the other end of the spectrum, barely 2% of
5 Compiled from Samson Membership data
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Aboriginal people work in professional scientific and technical services, compared to 6.3% of the total Canadian work force (TASC 2008/02/28).
ILLEGAL DRUGS AND GANG VIOLENCE
The ills of a runaway provincial economy and the subsequent individual disposal income has “fuelled an appetite for illegal drugs…whether it‟s crack, cocaine or even marijuana” within
Alberta communities and the use of drugs has contributed to “gang and organized crime activity” within the province (CBC September 25, 2008). The use of drugs is consistent across all social groupings in the province: a 2004 survey of 2,400 Albertans conducted by the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission reported that 4.2% of those who reported a high income also reported using one or more illicit drugs and similarly 5% of those who reported a low income used one or more illicit drugs. The use of drugs and associated trafficking in such is linked to increased criminal activity. In Alberta the escalating violence associated with drug trafficking and gang violence including drive-by shootings and increased crime rates has led to “numerous acts of violence over the last number of years” across the province. “Alberta has the fourth highest crime rate among Canadian provinces (2006) and [the] rates for violent crimes have been higher than the national average for the past 10 years” (Alberta, 2007, p. 14). “Alberta‟s homicide rate (2.84 per 1000,000 population is the third highest among the provinces” (p. 14).
Such violence has resulted in injury and death of gang members and innocent victims. The two largest cities in Alberta have become frequent scenes of gang conflict as indicated in the following media headlines:
Slain gang member was targeted before
[Police] Gang unit investigates southwest shooting
Alberta gangs everywhere, says cops
3 shootings in 14 hours
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Blinded gun victim thanks Canada
Drug vendetta blamed in slaying
Gang units have been established as a part of both the Calgary and Edmonton Police units as “Alberta gangs get better at their game” (cnews2007/01/04). The Edmonton Police estimated that about “18 criminal networks and one organized crime group, the Hells Angels are operating in the Edmonton area.” In a move to make the community more aware of the situation, the police released “the names of the 10 „self-named‟ criminal networks they say are operating in
Edmonton area: Alberta Warriors, Crazy Dragons, Crazy Dragon Killers, GTC (Get The Cash),
Indian Posse, North End Jamaicans, Redd Alert, Southside Boys, West End Jamaicans and White
Boy Posse” (cnews2007/01/04). Additional gangs believed to be operating within the
Maskwacis area include Samson True Soldiers, East Side Players, Boss Hoggs, D Block Crew,
Indian Posse, Alberta Warriors and Get Low Players. Calgary Police Chief Hanson stated that
“the challenges brought on by our rapid [population] growth and the increased sophistication of organized crime has stretched us to the limit” (cbc2008/08/25).
PROVINCIAL ACTION
The Premier of Alberta in response to escalating criminal activity stated “every Albertan has a right to feel safe in their community” (cbc2008/02/14). Over the past year, the province has articulated a number of responses to gangs and organized crime. Such measures included:
Pledge to be tough on crime
Legislation to widen powers of police to enter and shut down gang houses
Special courts to handle drug cases
Additional prosecutors
Increased police budget for hiring additional police
Resources to target repeat offenders
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Additionally, the Alberta government has committed $470 million towards its crime prevention strategy. As well the province has allocated $3.7 million for a youth mentoring project to
“foster strong, safe and healthy communities….when young people have positive adult role models, they have better peer and family relationships, and are less likely to get involved with drugs and crime”. This collaborative project between 10 Alberta government ministries, three government-funded organizations, 16 community agencies and two youth representatives will
“explore creative and innovative solutions to engage young people as active responsible citizens” through mentoring programs, learning supports and programs that encourage young people to stay in school (Alberta2008/06/30).
MASKWACIS COMMUNITY
Samson First Nation is located one hour drive from Edmonton and two hours from
Calgary. Although a smaller community, the Nation has witnessed the same gang and crime effects as the two cities. It is estimated that 13 gangs operate within the Maskwacis community some of whom have various roles/relationships with Hells Angels. The formation of gangs in the community is consistent with research which identified that “Aboriginal youth are more vulnerable to gang recruitment and organized crime than non-Aboriginal youth…[since] youth at risk of joining gangs or already involved in gangs tend to be from groups that suffer from the greatest levels of inequality and social disadvantage” (NCPC). Thus while Alberta‟s Crime
Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force (2007) stated “one in four Albertans said they were a victim of some type of crime in the past year and Alberta‟s rates of violence victimization were the highest in the country” (2007, p. 16), the Task Force noted that:
Aboriginal people are especially vulnerable to violent victimization with rates three times
higher than for non-Aboriginal peoples and rates of homicide seven times higher than
non-Aboriginal people. (p. 16)
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Media headlines regarding crime on the Samson reserve echo those related to urban areas:
Stop Hobbema violence, mother of wounded tot pleads
Latest gang shooting in Hobbema leaves woman 20 dead
Teen dies in shooting at Hobbema reserve
Gang crisis
With what has been estimated as the highest concentration of gang members per capita in the country, Maskwacis community has a serious problem. The Samson Cree Nation Chief and
Council expressed its “deep concern about an increase in violence in the Maskwacis Community and is committed to take immediate and meaningful action to reduce violence on the Samson
Reserve and to make the Samson Cree Nation a safe place for all.” The Chief and Council called “upon all Samson members to come together for a common purpose, to pinpoint issues of concern, to identify resources and to continue to work together to make the Samson community a safe and healthy environment for Samson children to grow up in and be proud of.” The Chief and Council, community members and the RCMP are focusing on “taking back their community” and making Samson Cree Nation a safe and caring environment. There is no quick-fix to preventing crime and improving safety, however, the Samson community is uniting to end the violence – taking responsibility at all levels. It is about individuals, families, and communities stepping up and recognizing that many of the factors that contribute to crime are within their own hands” (Alberta, 2007, p. 5).
SAMSON SAFE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE
On April 16, 2008, the Samson Chief and Council created the Samson Safe Community
Task Force. The Task Force had a wide membership including an Elder, and representatives of
Samson youth, schools, parents, law enforcement, Pigeon Lake and the Samson town site. The
Working Together 15 mandate of the Task Force was to hold meetings regarding identification and analysis of the occurrence of violence in the Samson and Maskwacis Community including:
a) Identification of the factors and underlying reasons for high rates of
community violence, gangs and gang activity;
b) Inventory of current programs and services that address violence in the
community and any deficiencies or inefficiencies of such programs and services;
c) Recommendations to foster cooperation between Maskwacis Cree, various on
reserve programs and services, law enforcement and other outside agencies;
d) Recommendations with procedures and priorities for implementing strategies to
achieve a significant reduction in acts of violence within the Samson Community;
e) Inform and engage Samson members in all aspects of review.
Since the establishment of the Samson Safe Community Task Force, the Task Force has held meetings on two dozen occasions between April and September 2008. As well the Task
Force coordinated a series of community wide meetings; met with each department within the
Samson Cree Nation administration; held meetings with the RCMP, various levels of government including federal departments; and community organizations. At the same time, a number of initiatives were undertaken by the community as a whole including:
- Citizens In Action
- Held community meetings to discuss crime on the reserve
- Conducted a community wide survey related to community safety.
- Completed the removal of houses burned or destroyed by gang members
- Supported Elders meetings
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- Removed graffiti from buildings
- Held a Walk against Violence
- Enacted a curfew bylaw for youth under 18 years of age
- Increased activity and patrols by the RCMP were undertaken
- Increased numbers of RCMP personnel at the Hobbema detachment
- Invited Michael C. Chettleburgh author of Young Thugs Inside the Dangerous
World of Canadian Street Gangs to give a presentation and work with members
of the Maskwacis community.
- Held an essay context for school children – “How I can make my community a
safer place to live
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CHAPTER 2
YOUTH GANGS
“When you have nothing to live for, you have nothing to die for”6
The incursion of youth gangs into Canadian cities is a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to the document entitled, Results of the 2002 Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs, there had neither been a quantifiable evaluation citing the number and types of Canadian youth gangs nor a qualitative description of Canadian gangs and their members (Chettleburgh, 2003). Literature specifically related to Aboriginal gangs, a classification term used by the Criminal Intelligence
Service Canada (Friesen & O‟Neill, 2008) is even more dearth. Despite the lack of research regarding Aboriginal gangs, there is mounting concern within Western Canada about their alarming growth rate, particularly within the cities of Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, and
Edmonton (Bernhardt, 2006) of Aboriginal youth gangs. Chettleburgh (2008) described this unfettered growth as a “cultural genocide” attracting poor and disfranchised Aboriginal youth by the thousands (p. A21). Chief Lawrence Joseph of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian
Nations, (as cited in Cherry, 2005), cautioned that if Aboriginal gang issues continue to go unchallenged, uncared for, and untreated, the problem will only worsen.
YOUTH GANG DEFINITION
Within relevant literature, the term youth gang is often used interchangeably with such terms as street gang or, simply, gangs. The Montreal Police Services definition of youth gang explicitly incorporates the anti-social and delinquent behaviors that are distinctive of youth gangs. It defines a youth gang as:
6 Aboriginal ex-gang member as cited in Grekul & LaBoucane-Benson, 2006.
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An organized group of adolescents and/or young adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity. (NCPC/2007-YG-1).
Chettleburgh (2003) who authored the Results of the 2002 Canadian Police Survey on Gangs, identified the following characteristics as fundamental components/descriptors of Canadian youth gangs:
1. The group commits crimes together.
2. The group hangs out/assembles together.
3. The group has a leader or an established leadership structure.
4. The group displays and wears common colors or other insignia.
5. The group claims a territory.
6. The group has a name.
HISTORY OF STREET GANGS
Street gangs have existed for hundreds of years, within numerous countries throughout the world. For example, the word thug dates back to India in the year 1200 AD and refers to a gang of criminals (the Thugz) roaming the country and pillaging towns. During the early 1600s, the streets of London were terrorized by a succession of organized gangs calling themselves the
Muns, Bugles, and Dead Boys, who broke windows, demolished taverns, and slit the noses of their victims (Pearson, 1983). Street gangs took root in the United States at the beginning of the
1800s. During that time, the gangs were largely composed of new Irish immigrants struggling for an existence in districts of New York City (Franzese, Covey, & Menard, 2006). The twentieth century saw a rapid growth in street violence and gangs in the United States, by 1920,
Chicago reportedly housed over 1,300 gangs.
Historically, Canada has also experienced the nascent effects of street gang activity. As early as 1945, Canadian gangs were depicted by the media as a subject of growing social concern
Working Together 19 and the product of an ailing society (Young, 1993). During that time, reports portrayed Asian gangs in Vancouver and Toronto to be particularly threatening to social cohesion. In Quebec, gang-related reports were less focused on Asian gangs; rather, media attention was directed at
Mafia and Jamaican gangs (Gordon, 1998). Throughout Canada‟s history, drug smuggling, contraband smuggling, and firearms trafficking remained key factors that ameliorate street gang activity (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006).
Youth gangs span various ethnic, geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic contexts.
However, according to Chettleburgh (2003, p. 14), the largest ethnic portion of youth gang members within Canada are African Canadian/Black at 25%. Comparatively, 22% have
Aboriginal ethnicities and 18% have Caucasian/White ethnicity. The remaining 36% of gang members consist of various visual minority groups including East Indian/Pakistani (14%), Asian
(12%), Latino/Hispanic (6%), and Middle East/Arabic (3%).
Although different youth gangs are found in various parts of Canada; within
Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, youth gangs are the most culturally homogeneous.
Namely, 96% of gangs in Saskatchewan ethnically are Aboriginal, and 58% of gangs in both
Alberta and Manitoba are of Aboriginal heritage (Chettleburgh, 2003). Chettleburgh (2003) explained that on a per capital basis, Saskatchewan has the highest concentration of youth gang membership, with 1.34 gang members per 1,000 people. Of the 1,315 gang members residing in
Saskatchewan, approximately 40% operate within the cities of Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince
Albert (Criminal Intelligence Service of Saskatchewan, 2005). Ontario, British Columbia, and
Alberta have the next highest per capita concentrations of youth gangs, respectively ranging from
0.29, 0.26, and 0.22 gang members per 1,000 people (Chettleburgh, 2003).
Aboriginal gangs are in a state of genesis, as fifteen years ago problems associated with organized Aboriginal gangs were a relatively unknown phenomenon. The inception of
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Aboriginal gangs occurred on the streets of Winnipeg. In 1988, the Indian Posse formed, followed by the Manitoba Warriors in 1991. The rival groups clashed in prisons and, in 1994, protection from these gangs led unaffiliated prison inmates to form a third gang, Native
Syndicate (Friesen & O‟Neill, 2008). Due to violent behaviors while incarcerated, many of the offenders were relocated to Edmonton‟s maximum security prison. When later released on parole, these gang members began to infiltrate the low-income areas of Edmonton, Regina, and
Saskatoon (Dolha, 2003). Thus, due to the geographical locations of federal correction centers, all three youth gangs migrated westward (Criminal Intelligence Service of Saskatchewan, 2005).
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2006) believed that in the future the greatest proliferation of gangs will be located within the Prairie Provinces. Chettleburgh (2003) agreed that the Aboriginal gangs, particularly within Alberta and Saskatchewan, will continue to grow because of the increasing demand for illicit drugs within these oil-rich, affluent provinces.
Statistics support Chettleburgh‟s prophecy, for example, from 1994 to 2004, the number of
Albertans who had admitted to using cannabis or crack/cocaine doubled (Alberta Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Commission, 2005). Similarly, across Canada, there has been a 67 per cent increase in cocaine offences since 2002 (Alberta, 2007, p. 16). Fuelled by the demand for illicit drugs, Alberta gangs are currently increasing in record sizes (Friesen & O‟Neill, 2008).
As explained by Friesen and O‟Neill (2008), Aboriginal gang members are the largest single ethnic group held in federal prisons, with 536 members serving federal sentences.
Coolican (2003) reported, “Aboriginal gangs were flourishing to such an extent inside the
Saskatoon Correctional Center last year that their proudly worn colors turned the exercise yard into a „sea of red or a sea of blue‟ [Aboriginal gang colors]” (p. A3). Over 90% of the incarcerated Aboriginal gang members are imprisoned in penitentiaries located across the
Prairies. These imprisoned members primarily represent three dominant gangs: the Indian
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Posse, the Warriors, and the Native Syndicate. All three gangs are believed to be run by councils of senior leaders who are in jail and communicate with their members on the outside via three- way calling. Dominant gangs make their money primarily through the trafficking of cocaine and prostitution-related activities.
ABORIGINAL GANGS
Indian Posse
Indian Posse and Native Syndicate are primarily street gangs, slightly less sophisticated than the Warriors (Friesen & O‟Neil, 2008). Nonetheless, as explained by Friesen and O‟Neill
(2008), Indian Posse is an extremely violent gang and some of its members have been responsible for homicides in the city of Winnipeg, the gang‟s base location. Indian Posse also has chapters in Saskatoon, Edmonton, small Prairie towns, and on reserves. Although Indian
Posse has established itself within the Prairie Provinces, the gang garners strength from the connections it has in Eastern and Western Canada: American guns smuggled into areas located near the Ontario-U.S. and Quebec-U.S. borders are transported westward into the possession of
Indian Posse members. As well, crack cocaine, Indian Posse‟s primary source of income, is acquired via Asian gangs, smuggling drugs into Canada through British Columbia‟s ports. In turn, Indian Posse‟s connections to reserves and remote northern communities are lucrative because within these areas, gang members can extortionately inflate drug prices. For example, within Winnipeg, a rock of crack cocaine sells for $10 to $20; however, within northern
Manitoba a rock of crack cocaine of the same size costs $100.
As is the case for most gangs, there is a demarcated hierarchy within Indian Posse‟s leadership. For instance, residing within The Pas, Manitoba, there are believed to be 15 to 20 senior leaders each of whom has three or four prospective members working beneath them. As explained by Friesen and O‟Neill (2008) these potential members are known as strikers. The
Working Together 22 strikers distribute the drugs and try to outdo one another through acts of mettle and violence, which earn them membership into the gang. Once formally initiated into the gang, members earn higher status by completing missions of increasingly violent actions such as arson, armed robbery, and homicide (Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, 2003). Formal recognition into the gang is symbolized by an IP tattoo, followed by a larger tattoo known as an arm band, which is actually two tattoos (Friesen & O‟Neill, 2008).
The Warriors and Native Syndicate
Described by police as the most sophisticated of the three major Aboriginal gangs, the
Manitoba Warriors, often referred to as The Warriors, model themselves after the Hells Angels.
The Warriors are less likely than other groups to be associated with low-level street violence and have the least number of inmates serving in correctional institutions. The leadership is structured and usually includes the following positions: president, vice-president, higher up, enforcer, soldier, and striker (Criminal Intelligence Service Saskatchewan, 2005). A smaller street gang, called Deuce (a rival gang to the Indian Posse) has close connections with the
Warriors (Dolha, 2003).
Initially formed within federal prisons, the Native Syndicate predominantly resides within Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba. These members have an extremely high propensity for violence and are responsible for the most armed robberies of the three major Aboriginal gangs. Black and white clothing is color of choice for Native Syndicate (Criminal Intelligence
Service Saskatchewan, 2005). Gang members are marked by tattoos, including an initial tattoo of NS on the web of the hand between the thumb and index finger.
THE LURE AND FALSIFIED PRESTIGE OF YOURTH GANG MEMBERSHIP
In these days of trendy rap music and fashionable street dress, the lifestyle of gang members is portrayed not only as acceptable, but as a fascinating and cool way to live. In
Working Together 23 addition to the music and stylish dress, intriguing portrayals of gangs commonly depicted on television and within movies send similar falsified messages to youth. The media sensationalizes criminal gang activity because by doing so, newspaper sales increase, as do television and movie ratings (McShane & Williams, 2007; O‟Reilly & Fleming, 2001).
Research suggests gangs benefit from the media hype and publicity shone upon them, thus increasing the gang‟s numbers, power, and recognition within a community (Bereska, 2008;
Gordon 2001).
Cuthand (2008) described the vast dichotomy between how gang life is often glossily portrayed with a more realistic account. In actuality, gang life is difficult, with few rewards.
The lifestyle of a gang member is dominated by omnipresent dangers of violence, robbery, prostitution, and drug dealing. When gang members reach their 20s, they often have no education, no work experience, and an extensive criminal record. In addition to these formidable barriers, most gang members are prone to have a drug problem of their own. Gang life leaves most of its members destitute, burned out, and unemployable - and those are the lucky ones. Some members will be murdered; others will serve life-terms for their crimes. The dream of attaining power, wealth, and freedom through gang membership evaporates; it never really existed in the first place.
A collection of authors describe power, wealth and freedom – though illusionary – attractors for youth joining gangs. For a young adolescent, gang membership expedites the journey from childhood into adulthood, because it is perceived to deliver power and distinction
(Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, 2003). Many individuals who are at-risk of joining a gang have inherent entrepreneurial skills; thus, the financial advantage of gang life is compelling to them. In one night, a gang member can make $2,000 (tax free) selling crack, as compared to $8 an hour pumping gas (Stolte, 2008). Studies have illuminated numerous other
Working Together 24 reasons of why young people at attracted to gangs. Through gang involvement, youth achieve status and respect, safety and protection, and family-like social connections (Decker & Curry,
2000; Gordon, 2001). The lack or misplacement of cultural identity has also been linked to gang membership (Dukes, Martinez, & Stein 1997; Gordon, 2001). In summary, when the fundamental needs of young people are not being met, young individuals sometimes attempt to satisfy these needs through the subculture of a street gang.
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES AND KEY INDICATORS OF GANGS
Gang activities range from being loosely structured, neighborhood-based youth groups to highly organized, extremely violent street gangs. Research confirms that not all gangs are involved in organized, violent criminal activity; rather, many gangs are transient and relatively unstable (Gordon, 1998; Starbuck, Howell, & Lindquest, 2001). As explained by Criminal
Intelligence Service Saskatchewan (2005), stages of gang activity are incremental. As such, a gang‟s developmental stages can be portrayed in the form of a pyramid, with increasing severity of criminal activity represented within each successive strata of the pyramid (see Figure 1).
While it is difficult to acknowledge the exact point of arrival of a gang into a community, there are multiple warning signs. As indicated at the top of Figure 1, the most common indications of the arrival of a gang into a community are recruitment activities and graffiti. During this early stage, the community is subjected to a number of initiation acts including unmotivated pedestrian battering, minor assaults, and petty thefts. As street level robberies and property crimes increasingly occur, the community becomes more aware of the evolution of the gang and more knowledgeable about the demarked, conquered territory that belongs to the gang.
Progressively, as gang members learn more pronounced criminal survival skills their level of unlawful activity escalates. Gang members acquire firearms to protect themselves, to defend their illegitimate proceeds, and to assist them in obtaining a steady supply of drugs to
Working Together 25 traffic. In turn, drug trafficking, aggravated assault, and drug rip-offs become common occurrences within communities controlled by gangs. Extreme violence is then utilized to eliminate gang competition and to vie for recognition of advanced gang status. The reputation of gang members is supported and further strengthened by employing witness intimidation tactics. These key depictions of a gang‟s presence provide police with an indication of the potential capabilities and the relative threat of a gang located within a neighborhood.
Increasing maturity level of a gang Recruiting & graffiti
Property crimes & street robberies (Emergence of tattoos and gang colors and an increase in minor assaults within an area
Firearms, home invasions, & drug rip-offs (Growing concern over attacks such as stabbings)
Witness intimidation, prostitution- related offences, drug trafficking and extreme violence
Figure 2-1: Key Indicators of Gang Activity
Gang image and identification are developed, enforced, and enhanced via gang insignia, regalia, and other indicators such as graffiti, colors, tattoos, and hand signals. The wearing of
Working Together 26 similar clothing and colors increases a gang‟s sense of solidarity and is used to intimidate other gangs. Examples of a gang‟s unique dress style includes having one pant-leg rolled up, wearing one glove, wearing a ball cap a certain way, and/or leaving one shoelace untied (Dolha, 2003;
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006).
Dukes, Martinez, and Stein (1997) described the negative self-concept often characterized by youth who are in greater danger of gang initiation: “Gang members tended to be persons with identity problems - who did not feel good about themselves, had less confidence in their academic abilities, had lower feelings of purpose in life, and had weak attachments to their ethnic group” (p.152). Not surprisingly, having friends who engage in delinquent behaviours significantly increases an individual‟s risk of entering a gang (Campbell, 1991; Esbensen,
Peterson, Freng, & Taylor, 2002; Franzese et al, 2006; Gordon, 2001). In relation to peers, youth who are more at risk of joining gangs are those who have high levels of unstructured and unsupervised social time with their friends (Maxson et al., 1998). In addition to the above traits, early sexual activity is an experience reported by most gang members (Hill, Howell, Hawkins, &
Battin-Pearson, 1999).
A final at-risk factor pertaining to gang membership deals with the incarceration of gang members. Chettleburgh (2003) indicated that gang-related inmates who are released from prison and re-enter communities have a significant effect on gang proliferation, particularly within
Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Upon release from custodial sentences, many former gang members gravitate back to gang life and bolster the power of existing gangs by accelerating the maturity process of that gang. Camp and Camp (1985) collected data on 250 gang members after they were released from prison. Camp and Camp‟s research found that within a short amount of time 80% of these released from prison had re-offended and rearrested for a variety of violent crimes, including 24 arrests for murder. This information highlights the
Working Together 27 fact that the incarceration of gang members does very little to deter youth from being involved with gangs. Conversely, placing gang members in jail often supports gang proliferation and worsens gang-related problems.
Gangs are predominantly a late-teen-to-early-adulthood, male enterprise. Chettleburgh
(2003) explained that within Canada, the vast majority of youth gang members are male (94%); however, within British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan female gang members are somewhat more common. Respectively, within these three provinces, 12%, 10% and 9% of gang members are female. Throughout Canada, approximately 76% of gang members fall into the category of being between 16 to 21 years of age, and 24% are 22 years of age or older.
Interestingly, the age of Albertan gang members is the highest in the country – approximately
40% of Alberta gang members fall into the category of being between 16 to 21 years of age, and
57% of gang members are 22 years of age or older. These age statistics point to a couple of issues. First, the legitimacy of the term youth gang is challenged because about half of gang members within Canada are over the age of 18. Another point reflected within this information centers around the timing and implementation of prevention programs.
FAMILY FACTORS
Membership within gangs is often prognosticated by a difficult family environment.
Children having siblings who exhibit antisocial behaviours, and children having parents who are violent in nature are more prone to gang membership (Hill et al., 1999). Franzese et al. (2006) proposed, “The most important influence on the decisions to join gangs is whether parents, siblings, and friends are or have been gang members” (p. 205). Sgt. Olson of RCMP‟s
Integrated Gang Intelligence Unit agreed that antisocial conduct may be groomed by parental influences. He explained that some young children, from newborn to five-year-olds, are being dressed by their gang-member parents with gang regalia. These young children are also taught
Working Together 28 to imitate gang hand signs (Bernhardt, 2006; Winnipeg Free Press, 2007). Other studies have indicated that a specific characteristic linked to gang involvement is lack of parenting skills.
Research has consistently supported the idea that lack of parent interaction and involvement with a child is a precursor for that child to engage in youth crime (Decker & Curry, 2000; Gordon,
2001; Hawkins et al., 1998; Wyrick & Howell, 2004). Furthermore, consistently disciplining a child inappropriately (Winfree, Backstrom, & Mays, 1994), low parental control and monitoring
(Campbell, 1990; Esbensen, Peterson, Freng, & Taylor, 2002; Thornberry, Huizinga, & Loeber,
2004; Wyrick & Howell, 2004), and a weak relationship between parent and child (Campbell,
1990) more likely position a youth to be involved with gangs. Individuals whose parent(s) suffer from substance addictions, such as drugs or alcohol, are also more at risk to the lure of gang life
(Hill et. al., 1999).
Friesen and O‟Neill (2008) stated that gang members are predominantly male youth who do not understand what it is like to have a caring father or positive male role model: “Every young man looks for someone who‟s an image of a dad. If a kid‟s real dad can‟t offer the image and a teacher can‟t, there‟s a dad waiting in the street” (p. A16). Farrington (1989) reported that boys 12 years or younger, whose father did not engage in leisure activities with them were more likely to be violent as a teenager and more likely to be convicted for violent offences as they grew older. In sum, the absence of positive male role models in a child‟s life increases the risk of a child/teenager becoming involved with gang activities (Gordon, 2001; Le Blanc & Kaspy,
1998).
COMMUNITY FACTORS
Cuthand (2008) described Aboriginal gangs as a product of poverty and marginalization.
Poverty, lack of education, poor health conditions, and a loss of culture, language, and identity are stark realities for many Aboriginal communities (Friesen & Friesen, 2005; Public Safety
Working Together 29
Canada, 2007a) and exacerbate the danger of gang development within a community. Negative school experiences also support gang recruitment. Learning disabilities, low student achievement, lack of student interest and commitment to school, and unconstructive labeling by teachers are predictive indicators of gang involvement (Hill et. al., 1999; Howell, 2000; Huff
1998; Spergel et al., 1994).
A visual synthesis of individual, family, and community at-risk domains and their corresponding information is presented through Figure 2-2, which is a large circle incorporating two smaller circles. The circles illustrate the interdependency of individual, family, and community characteristics when attempting to identify at-risk youth prone to gang initiation.
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Community Risk Factors Feelings of disenfranchisement from community & culture High unemployment Poverty Marginalization and discrimination Lack of education Poor health conditions Loss of language and culture Negative school experiences
Family Risk Factors Single-parent/broken homes Parental &/or sibling involvement with gangs Lack of parental interaction with child Inappropriate discipline of child Lack of parental monitoring of child Poor relationship with child Parental substance abuse & addictions Lack of role models for male children
Individual Risk Factors
Antisocial behavior Prior acts of delinquency & jail time Antisocial peers Unstructured time with peers Low self-esteem Early sexual activity Male age 16 and older Former relationship with gangs
Figure 2-2: Risk
Working Together 31
GANG PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION; PROTECTIVE APPROACHES
Within the literature, suggestions abound as to how to reduce youth criminal activity.
Preventative and alternative remedies range from increasing a police presence in a known gang territory to decreasing the amount of violent television that a child watches. The answer as to which approach is most effective is not a clear-cut, either-or response. Since numerous factors contribute to street gang behaviour and recruitment, numerous preventative and alternative programs must be considered when trying to alleviate gang problems. The most effective approaches are to be determined by the level of crime and the contextual situation being addressed. Largely, it is the responsibility of community leaders and the various stakeholders within a said neighbourhood to decide which types of programs are best suited to their circumstances. Dobb (2004) believed it is imperative that the underlying forces supporting youth gangs must first be understood before deciding how to combat crime within a community.
In the previous section, protective forces dissuasive of gang involvement are once again categorized into individual, family, and community domains.
Many researchers, law enforcement agents, and other stakeholders interested in gang reduction are demanding a paradigm shift regarding the approaches used to suppress gang activity. This new mindset extends beyond conventional, law-enforcement suppressive tactics to include preventative programs and policies that foster positive identities for at-risk youth
(Barton, Watkins, & Jarjoura, 1997). Brendtro and Larson (2004) argued that although many at- risk youth endure traumatic experiences, young individuals are resilient and can lead productive and fulfilling lives provided they are surrounded by supportive leaders who provide intrinsically sound and meaningful ways to develop personal strength and positive values. Preventative programs need to target antisocial behaviour, personal challenges, negative thinking patterns, and
Working Together 32 negative lifestyles by re-establishing positive personal and social characteristics, personal abilities, a set of goals, and a sense of hope. Consequently, when youth are provided with opportunities to develop self-competency in areas such as education, vocational training, culture knowledge, and social demeanor, they will be more likely to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle (Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Brockern, 1999). Research has indicated that a single approach, in isolation, has been effective in dealing with gang proliferation; rather, a combination of programming/efforts needs to be applied to gang problems (Howell, 1998).
A sampling of preventive programs targeting the individual, family and community are provided below in Table 2-2.
Working Together 33
Alternative and Prevention Programs for Gang Involvement
Context Name/Type of Program Description Individual PALS Themes include: (a) education/academic development; (b) life and social skills/ behavioural development, (c) physical activity and health development, (d) mentors and positive role models, and (e) effective parenting and a nurturing social environment. School The Fourth R A grade 9-12 program promotes the neglected R (relationships) Program and helps build this Fourth R in school climates. Fourth R initiatives use best practice approaches to target multiple forms of violence, including bullying, dating violence, peer violence, and group violence. Increasing youth relationship skills and targeting risk behaviour with a harm reduction approach empowers adolescents to make healthier decisions about relationships, substance use and sexual behaviour. www.youthrelationships.ca After-school programs Examples include: (a) sport leagues, (b) computer clubs, (c) tutoring time, (d) arts and crafts programs, (e) cooking clubs, (d) traditional dance, (d) employment preparation training, (e) language instruction, (f) music clubs, and (g) community revitalization programs. Junior Achievement Canada Provides adolescents with leadership, entrepreneurial, and workforce readiness through the creation of their own business. Aboriginal Apprenticeship Provides trade skills to Aboriginal adolescents and young adults Program to assist entry into workforce. www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca Various early learning programs Themes predominantly focus on: (a) culture and language; (b) such as (a) Aboriginal Head Start in education and school readiness; (c) health promotion; (d) Urban and Northern Communities, nutrition; (e) social support; and (f) parental involvement. (b) First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative, (c) First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestment, (d) Brighter Futures, and (e) Maternal Child Health Program Family FAST Canada Focuses upon parent-child bonding via: (a) building a three-way relationship between parents, children, and school; (b) addressing personal values, personal accountability, and family management; (c) empowering parents to become the primary protectors of their children. The Incredible Years Training is provided for parents, teachers, and children and targets those children from age four to eight who are highly aggressive, disobedient, hyperactive, and inattentive. Functional Family Therapy Targets youth, aged 11 to 18, who are at risk or are presenting delinquent and violent behaviour, substance use, and various behaviour disorders. Aboriginal Youth & Family Organized programs that promote the success of Aboriginal youth Well Being and Education through the provision of positive learning excursions and Society experiences lead by Aboriginal volunteers. Parental & Community First Nations Schools Association (BC) Supports parents and Engagement Program caregivers in their role as the child‟s first and most influential teacher; supports community involvement in education; encouraging a home environment that supports children to succeed in school. www.fnsa.ca Sovereignty Daywalker and company has a proposal to address the breakdown
Working Together 34
of the family unit, using a wholistic and comprehensive approach. [email protected] Community Elder teachings and healing Revitalization of traditional ceremonies and teachings. Supply a sense of culture, pride, and identity to at-risk gang members and gang members. Community dialogue Talking circles re: Holistic Lifelong Learning. www.ccl-cca.ca Community participation Discussion, curfews, and banishment of gang members. Hobbema Community Cadet Provides mentors who teach young cadets to concentrate on Corps Program positive attitudes, abilities, and achievements, rather than focusing on negative obstacles that hinder success. The program has a strong emphasis on Aboriginal culture, language, education, sports, and a healthy lifestyle. Community services Providing such services as alcohol and drug treatment, employment opportunities, and educational opportunities need to be available to gang members once they have cut formal ties to a gang. Providing professional development for teachers so they can better understand how to teacher at-risk students and gang students. Partnership with police (e.g. Through school visits and law enforcement programs directed at GREAT) educating the youth about the dangers of gangs. Table 2-2
While there is not a one single solution to gang proliferation, Chettleburgh (2007) suggested the following three prong approach be utilized when communities which to embark upon a holistic approach to addressing issues related to gangs. In one troubled community, an
Elder stated, “We must all work together to heal our people” (As cited in Ellerby & Ellerby,
1998, p. ii).
Figure 2-3: Tri-Component Approach to Dealing with Gangs (adapted from Chettleburgh, 2007, p. 207)
Working Together 35
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) stated “We believe that the Creator has entrusted us with the sacred responsibility to raise our families…for we realize healthy families are the foundation of strong and healthy communities” (Vol. 3, para. 27). Children are valuable treasures. Raising children in a nurturing, loving environment is everyone‟s responsibility. Cuthand (2008) stated, “By far the great majority of our young [Aboriginal] people are on the right track and making the right choices” (p. A11).
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CHAPTER 3
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
If the legends fall silent, who will teach the children our ways?7
Vine Deloria, Jr. (1994) argued that “from the beginning of contact with European culture until the present, education has been a major area of conflict and concern” (p. 11).
Spanish, French, and English colonial powers and later Canadian and American governments, all sought through western education to “change the Indian child.” Residential school policy adopted in Canada in 1879, was designed to “civilize…Indians…to take away their simple
Indian mythology” and replace such with “a policy known as that of „aggressive civilization”
(Davin Report, 1879). While day schools gradually replaced residential schools (last residential schools in Alberta closed in the 1980s), the purpose of education changed little. The Indian Act,
1876, forbid First Nations people to practice their own cultural and spiritual beliefs and schools punished children who spoke their Indigenous language (Miller, 1996; Milloy, 1999).
Furthermore, the Minister of Indian Affairs decided where and when children would go to school, denying parents this right to choose the appropriate school for their children.
REVIEWS AND COMMITTEES
Following the Second World War, numerous Joint Committees of the Senate and House of Commons were convened to investigate the educational gap between First Nations students and Canadian students in general. Submissions to the Committees noted “the educational opportunities and resources granted to Indian children were not adequate or sufficient”
(McMurtry, 1985, p. 59) and demanded “educational standards…equal to that of the other
(Canadian) citizens” (Special Joint Committee, 1947, Vol. 11, p. 1320). The submission to the
7 Chief Dan George
36 Working Together 37
Joint Committee from the Indian Association of Alberta focused on the poor state of educational services and argued such was not only “inadequate for the needs of people in a changing world”
(1946, p.803) but the lack of educational services was “partially the cause of post-school delinquency” (1947, Vol. 1, p.579).
The 1960 Joint Committee noted that securing qualified teachers to work in federal schools on reserves continued to be an significant issue and that 11% of the teachers that were hired did not meet provincial teaching qualifications (Joint Committee, 1960, p. 500). The following year, the Joint Committee recognized that “many Indians have not had the same opportunity as non-Indians in obtaining a formal education” (Joint Committee, 1961, p. 610). In
1967, A Survey of the Contemporary Indians of Canada commissioned by the federal government was released. The Survey noted that Canada‟s provision of educational services for
First Nations children raised many questions and commented that “inadequate aid may be worse than none at all because it will almost certainly drain off hope and courage” (p. 6). The Survey highlighted the continuation of the historical and “enormous economic gap between the Indian and non-Indian communities” (Hawthorne, 1967, p. 24). The Survey provided the basis for the
Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian Policy 1969 or as it came to be known – the
White Paper. In 1969, the Minister of Indian Affairs announced in Parliament that “Indian people have the right to full and equal participation in the cultural, social, economic and political life of
Canada” (House of Commons Debates, June 25, 1959, p. 10582). The Minister, Jean Chretien, proposed to accomplish such by abolishing the Indian Act; closing down the Department of
Indian Affairs; terminating old agreements – the Treaties; transferring Indian lands to the people; and transferring responsibility for services (including education) to the provinces (p. 10582).
Working Together 38
INDIAN CONTROL OF INDIAN EDUCATION
In their Counter Policy to the Chretien Paper, the Chiefs of Alberta reminded the federal government that “Our education is not a welfare system. We have free education as a treaty right because we paid in advance for our education by surrendering our lands…We expect that the [treaty] promises…will be honored” (pp, 14-15). Working together with the National Indian
Brotherhood, First Nations across Canada authored and submitted their policy paper Indian
Control of Indian Education (1972) to the federal government. The document called for (1) control of education to be given back to First Nations communities; (2) schools to “provide the setting in which our children can develop the fundamental attitudes and values which have an honored place in Indian tradition and culture;” (3) and education to play a dual role (a) “reinforce
Indian identity;” and (b) “provide the training necessary for making a good living in modern society” (p. 3). Indian Control of Indian Education argued for radical change. An “improved education system” should include, the document espoused, appropriate levels of funding; curriculum and program change - academic, language and cultural programs in schools; as well as kindergarten, adult, vocational and post secondary programming. Indian Control of Indian
Education was accepted in principle by the federal government. Subsequently, Canada embarked upon a nationwide transfer of the administration of on-reserve schools to First Nations or their designate such as Tribal Councils and First Nations Educational Authorities.
Working Together 39
NIPISIHKOPAHK EDUCATION AUTHORITY
In the 1980s, Samson Cree Nation entered into negotiations with the Department of
Indian Affairs (INAC) for the transfer of educational services to local administration.
Contributing significantly to the construction of schools, the Samson Cree Nation built, in cooperation with INAC, a series of schools:
Pigeon Lake Mimiw Sakahikan School
Nipisihkopahk Kindergarten and Primary School
Nipisihkopahk Middle School.
Nipisihkopahk Secondary School
Nipisihkopahk Academy
The on-reserve schools are operated by the Nipisihkopahk Education Authority (NEA) on behalf of the Samson Cree Nation. The NEA‟s Education Policy Statement is:
The educational system of the Samson Cree Nation will be based on the spirituality of the
Plains Cree society for the cultural component and the Alberta Education guidelines, with
modifications for the academic component. (A-03, NEA Policy Manual)
The NEA‟s foundational objective is “to encourage, promote and provide opportunities for community members to experience the lifelong education concept from birth to pre-school, K to
12, and on to adult education levels.”
The enrolment of Samson Cree Nation students in off-reserve (provincial) and on-reserve schools is listed below in Table 3-1.
Working Together 40
Table 3-1 - Samson Cree First Nation: School Enrolment
School Year Off-reserve On-reserve Pigeon Lake Total Enrolment
2001-2002 447 884 67 1398
2002-2003 748 926 59 1733
2003-2004 505 930 59 1494
2004-2005 523 930 59 1512
2005-2006 514 787 65 1366
2006-2007 494 812 62 1368
2007-2008 503 848 62 1413
Through a Contribution Funding Agreement with the Department of Indian Affairs, on behalf of
Canada, the Samson Cree Nation received a basic rate of $5,933 per Full-Time Equivalent
Student (FTE) – 2008-2009 fiscal year funding level. This funding formula is intend to cover costs such as
…Teacher and teacher aide salaries and benefits; student supplies, instructional supplies,
administration, curriculum development and library costs. The funding is to support all
school operations except transportation, facility operations and maintenance, and
elements and other items described separately such as „low cost special education (INAC Contribution
Funding Agreement 2008-2009, p. 5). The Contribution Funding Agreement identifies that
“funding will be increased or decreased based on the verified September….Nominal Roll count” a mechanism which significantly affects school planning – budgeting on a yearly basis significantly inhibits long term educational planning. The Assembly of First Nations argued that
Working Together 41 the funding process for First Nations is outdated – since “1996, the federal government capped funding increase for Indian Affairs‟ core programs at 2%, which does not keep pace with inflation” (www.aftn.ca/article.asp?id=764Retrieved10/11/2008). In 2008, the First Nations
Education Council noted that
First Nations education is funded according to an old federal formula which dates back to
1988 and has not been indexed to the cost of living since 1996. Consequently, the
schools in the First Nations are not able to offer services and salary conditions
comparable to those offered by other Canadian schools.
(www.muskwaproductions.com)
MULTI-FACETED ISSUES
The issues facing band-managed schools are multi-faceted yet two major themes (1) educational funding levels inferior to those provided provincial/public schools, and (2) the lack of a holistic approach to education, are consistent across time (since Confederation) and across
Canada. Miller (1989) suggested that the promise of western education to First Nations developed in a chaotic approach with rudimentary efforts “by ill-trained and worse paid missionaries…in a hodgepodge of schools.…[to] which the government sometimes made small grants [towards teacher salaries]; and less frequently rarely contributed anything” (p. 175). Lack of funding for schools on-reserves over the past one hundred years has been well documented
(Barman, Hebert & MacCaskill, 1986). In 2008, Ovide Mercredi reminded Canada that “more money for education[al]” services for First Nations people is a “license to leave poverty behind”
(Personal communication October 2008). The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples or
RCAP (1996) noted “funding is very basic, with little money for Aboriginal curriculum and few resources….schools‟ ability to include innovative, culture-based curriculum…is restricted (Vol3,
Working Together 42 p. 436-437). In reference to education, RCAP provided numerous recommendations including the following and urged Canada to:
a) Provide funding commensurate with the responsibilities assumed by
Aboriginal nations and their communities…given the requirements of
institutional and program development, costs of serving small or dispersed
communities, and special needs accruing from past failures of educational
services. (Vol.3 p. 444)
b. Encourages programs that foster the physical, social, intellectual and
spiritual development of children, reducing distinctions between child
care, prevention and education. (Vol. 3, p. 454)
c. Implement comprehensive Aboriginal youth empowerment strategies
with elements elaborated in collaboration with youth, including
(a) cultural education in classroom and informal settings;
(b) acknowledgement of spiritual, ethical and intuitive
dimension of learning
(c) education to support critical analysis of Aboriginal experience;
(d) learning as a means of healing from the effects of trauma, abuse and racism;
(e) academic skills development and support;
(f) sorts and outdoor education;
(g) leadership development. (Vol. 3, pp. 484-485)
While RCAP gained recognition and support across Canada for the quality and comprehensiveness and its recommendations, for the most part RCAPs recommendations remained unfulfilled. Nevertheless, band-operated or band-managed schools became the schools of choice for First Nations parents and communities. The number of band-managed
Working Together 43 schools grew from one in 1971 to 494 today. The movement towards First Nations managed schools across the country over the past four decades demonstrates “a desire [of First Nations]
…to gain full control of their children‟s education once again” (As cited in Cajete, 1994, p. 12).
This progress, however, Deloria (1994) argued “has been clothed primarily in terms of wresting institutional control away from non-Indian educators…and does not protend a fundamental change in the substance of Indian education” (p. 12). Cajete argued it is essential to develop
A contemporary, culturally based, educational process founded upon traditional Tribal
values, orientations, and principles, while simultaneously using the most appropriate
concepts, technologies, and content of modern education. (p. 17).
This holistic approach to education enables the First Nations‟ learners to experience “the various relationships within Indigenous and western knowledge traditions through their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical dimensions….the individual‟s well being supports the cultural, social, political and economic “Collective Well-Being” (www.ccl-cca.ca) and included below in
Figure 3-1.
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FIRST NATIONS HOLISTIC LIFELONG LEARNING MODEL
First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model
Figure 3-1 First Nations Lifelong Learning Model (www.ccl-cca.ca)
The holistic approach to education is an essential part of healthy individuals and communities and a mechanism to change the current dismal educational statistics for First
Nations people. Canada‟s Auditor General (2004) noted “we remain concerned that a significant education gap exists between First Nations people living on reserves and the Canadian population as a whole and that the time estimated to close this gap has increased slightly [from
2000] from about 27 to 28 years (p.1). In 2008, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) stated
“about 70% of First Nations‟ students living on-reserve will never complete high school.
Graduation rates for the on-reserve population range from 28.9% to 32.1% annually”
(www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=764Retrieved 10/11/2008). With reference to Canada‟s Auditor
General‟s 2004 Report, the AFN argued “there has been literally no progress over the last four
Working Together 45 years in closing the gap in high school graduation rates between First Nations and other
Canadians” (ibid).
SAMSON FIRST NATION AND EDUCATION
Parents of Samson Cree students have a choice to send their children to the on-reserve or provincial schools located close by. The numbers of students attending grade twelve at the on- reserve high school has, for the most part, risen annually over the last six years – from 17% in
2001/2002 to 45% in 2006/2007. The students attending off-reserve schools comprise of approximately one third of the total study enrolment – while trends show that the number of
Samson students enrolled in provincial schools increases at the senior high school level, the total number of grade twelve students in provincial schools, however, has decreased over the last three years. Graduate trends are indicated in the Figure 3-2 and 3-3 below.
Figure 3.2 Graduate Per Centage
First Nations students and Canadian students in general aspire to continue their education after high school graduation whether at universities, colleges, technical institutes or skills training facilities. The AFN noted that:
Working Together 46
10,000 First Nations students who are eligible and looking to attend post-secondary
education are on waiting lists because of under-funding and that furthermore the number
of First Nations post-secondary students has been declining in recent years. In 1998-99
participation rates of Registered Indians was at a high of 27,157 but dropped to 25,075 in
2003-03. (http://www.aftn.ca/article.asp?id=764)
Samson Cree Nation through its educational trust supports and honors students who continue their education beyond high school. Along with post secondary funding from Indian
Affairs the number of post secondary students from Samson Cree Nation attending, the number of graduates though fluctuating from year to year, has increased slightly over the last eight years.
Figure 3-3 Samson Cree Nation Graduates
In total between 2000 and 2007 there were 573 members from Samson Cree Nation graduated from a variety of programs. This number is equivalent to 16% of the current adult population
Working Together 47
(18 years and over). A variety of educational programming is reflected in the graduates‟ course of studies:
GED
High School Diploma
University College Entrance Preparation Certificate
Technical Trades
College 1 year Certificates
College 2 year Certificates
Undergraduate Degrees
Post Graduate Degrees
This listing is reflective of individuals‟ desires to pursue a variety of programming but also of the determination of Samson Cree members to return to pursue educational attainment after (1) dropping out of high school, or (2) despite high school graduation not attaining sufficient grade averages to meet institutional entrance requirements. The determination of individuals to pursue their educational goals is offset with those who drop out of school and who with a lack of skills face limited employment opportunities if any at all. Schools dropouts are most likely “to be unemployed, turn to crime…and need welfare…and cost [society] billions” (Asimov, 2008, p.
1).
Disconnect from school, family and community for many students places them at-risk.
Chettleburgh (2007) argued that “freed from neglectful fathers, doting mothers and the confines of the education system” individuals are lured to gangs in search of friendship, a desire to belong, status, economic gain, and recognition. Community factors such as school dropout, high unemployment, poverty, poor health conditions, overcrowded/inadequate homes, and limited social, sports, or community activities and associated infrastructure – all associated with
Working Together 48 reserve living – are harbingers of at-risk students and youth attraction to gangs and ultimately gang proliferation.
Research regarding youth gangs consistently identifies a myriad of factors which may lure at-risk youth into gangs including:
Lack or misplacement of cultural identity
Lack of role models (especially for males)
Low self-esteem
Negative school experiences
Marginalization and discrimination
In-effective or lack of parental relationship
Research informs us that there is no clear-cut, either-or response to reduce youth criminal activity: Rather a combination of preventative and intervention strategies are called for if communities are to alleviate gang problems. A multi-dimensional approach identifies a variety of activities which serve to address the issues from a collective approach. The following recommendations are intended to assist in improving the quality of life on the Samson Cree
Nation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Leadership in effective school organizations is shared, collaborative and empowering.
Effective leadership does not reside solely in one or two people. It is a team quality and is, therefore, a reflection of the whole organization and the culture of shared decision making.
Good schools project a consistent philosophy and a sense of mission that are shared by teachers, pupils, parents/guardians, and administrators. Such schools have a warm, caring and respectful climate that is conducive to learning; are safe, attractive, well-resourced, and have a well-
Working Together 49 maintained physical environment; reflect community beliefs, norms and expectations; and emphasize academic achievement.
Nipisihkopahk Education Authority
1. In concert with school personnel and community members review the mission and
vision statements for NEA and each school. The vision and purpose should be
consistent and clear and shared by all stakeholders.
2. Recruit a truancy officer to keep children in school.
3. Review the annual budget allocations to align with mission/vision and priorities.
4. Provide team building activities for all staff.
5. Ensure professional development opportunities are available for staff.
6. Provide resources/support to help write proposals to various levels of
government/organizations for focused funding for school initiatives.
7. Consider hiring an activities coordinator for the schools.
8. Provide support to the schools for curriculum development and implementation of
new/refocused programs.
9. Require off-reserve schools to pay for bussing of students living on Samson Band.
Currently NEA pays for bussing to off-reserve schools.
10. Work with Alberta Education to ensure the provincial wellness program (2005) is
implemented in and benefits Samson Cree Nation students.
11. Raise expectations for high school graduation – set targets for numbers of
students graduating.
12. Review current and explore alternatives to the current school year.
13. Consider multi-grade “family” grouping for classroom arrangements.
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14. Establish a program for Grade 3-6 regarding youth awareness – how positive
groups differ from gangs, what gangs do the myths and realities about why youth
join gangs, information on gang structure and lifestyle, positive alternatives to
gang involvement. (Rexdale Youth Community Violence Prevention Alliance for
Grade 6 students)
15. Invite safe school advocates to present an in-service related to comprehensive and
integrated approaches for helping schools and communities reduce violence and
risk-taking among youth. Of particular note is The Fourth R (Relationships)
program developed at the University of Western Ontario and First Nations in
southern Ontario.
16. Review various student leadership programs for consideration and
implementation at the Junior and Senior High School Levels.
17. Review Developmental Assets – external and internal assets - programs for
Junior/Senior high school students. Young people with more assets are less likely
to engage in patterns of high-risk behaviour and are more likely to make positive
choices in life.
18. Consider implementing a wide ranging gifted children‟s program in the
Schools focused on Art, Reading, Math, etc.
19. Provide training and support mechanisms for staff and parents for effective
programming for FASD children.
20. Provide drug and alcohol counseling for students in junior/senior high school.
21. Invite Elders to conduct talking circles on a regular basis in the school.
Working Together 51
22. Review Cree language and cultural program for the purpose of widening the
program(s) for students and community members.
a. Focus on Cree oral instruction for all grades.
b. Establish lunchtime/after school activity clubs with a focus on traditional
activities.
c. Hold monthly Cree day: invite members of the community to conduct a
variety of activities: dancing, storytelling, art.
d. Offer Cree language lessons at the school for parents.
e. Invite Elders to offer sessions in the school for parents on traditional practices,
parent and community roles.
23. Review First Nations Education Steering Committee (ie. British Columbia)
a. First Nations Parent Club.
b. Options for partners with education such as sports group – donated tickets to
sports venues to reward parents who volunteer in the school, whose students
have improved attendance, etc.
24. Establish a tracking system to enable follow-up on students who leave/transfer
schools.
25. Review programming options and space requirements for establishing a daycare
for children of high school students.
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26. Enter into discussions with various cultural/drama/music groups in the
geographical area to facilitate the use of the stage for practice, etc. in exchange for
community to presentations.
27. Develop an outdoor track and field area, including an area for football, soccer,
lacrosse and other outdoor sports.
28. Develop a tutoring program within the schools.
29. Pursue funding to build a playground at the Pigeon Lake Mimiw Sakahikan
School.
30. Create a school uniform policy.
31. Hire a recruitment officer to recruit teachers for the schools.
32. Evaluate current staff and create a program for staff retention.
33. Develop a Special Ed policy.
34. In conjunction with Louis Bull, Montana and Ermineskin school Boards,
determine the need for specialists in the field:
a. Physical Therapist
b. Occupational Therapist
c. Speech/Language Pathologist
d. Services for Occupational Therapist/Physical therapist for children in the
Head start programs
e. Mental health workers (including preschool)
Work out an agreement to acquire these specialized services within the
Community for the benefit of all Hobbema children.
35. Review programming for Head Start program.
Working Together 53
Parents & Community Engagement
Parental involvement in their child‟s education and the student‟s connection to school are the most significant indicators of success in schools.
1. Provide opportunities and specific training for parents on topics such as
creating effective home learning environments, home reading and homework
support, healthy lifestyles for families and children, becoming involved in the
education system.
2. Establish a drop-in activity evening for parents and students.
3. Healthy Families Project & Kwanlin Dun First Nation‟s Project. A program
which focuses on parents with children aged 0-6 considered at high risk for future
criminal behaviour and victimization. Aim was to reduce the risk factors
associated with anti-social behaviour, such as delinquency and criminal
behaviour, child abuse and neglect, poor parenting skills, exposure to domestic
violence and parental criminality.
4. Establish bi-weekly parent/child activity evenings at the school, Howard Buffalo
Memorial Center or Bingo Hall.
5. Increase the availability of drug and alcohol awareness and rehabilitation training
at an easily accessible location. Work with Wellness program and Health Centre.
6. Review and adapt in appropriate handbook Project Gang Proof developed by
Manitoba RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba Justice for families and
communities who are attempting to prevent youth from becoming involved in
street gangs.
Working Together 54
7. Provide awareness training of and strategies for FASD which gives focus to
acceptance rather than blame. Address determinates of why women use
substances while pregnant: domestic violence, isolation, poverty, residential
school syndrome.
8. Review Alberta‟s Community Incentive Fund and projects funded in support of
local efforts to find solutions to family violence and bullying.
9. Establish a teen parenting support program.
Youth Education & Recovery
1. Review Breaking the Cycle: Youth Gang Exit and Ambassador
Leadership Program (NCPC) for implementation for Samson youth/young
people. The goals of the program are to (a) enhance public safety by reducing the
number of youth at risk of joining gangs; (b) enhance public safety by increasing
the number of gang involved youth that leave gangs.
2. Review Positive Tickets program implemented in Richmond and Toronto
which “catches kids doing the right thing…ticket is the gateway to the
relationship.”
3. Establish a First Nations Youth and Restorative Healing Project – a
culturally-based community based crime prevention strategy program.
This program has been offered in the Battleford, Saskatchewan area in
cooperation with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and
National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC).
Adult Education
High school diploma is generally considered a minimum requirement for most jobs in today‟s economy.
Working Together 55
1. Establish literacy clubs.
2. Provide opportunities for individuals to learn computer skills.
3. Provide General Educational Development (GED) sessions for interested
individuals in a variety of locales and at varying times during the day/night.
4. Review opportunities for on-job training programs (ie. Job Shadowing).
5. Establish community programs (evening or daytime): Sewing, Beading,
Woodworking, Cooking for diabetics, gardening, etc.
6. Offer leadership training for community members.
7. Explore the possibility of creating an Outreach centre.
Post Secondary Education
Parental education exerts a strong influence on a child‟s education and not only reduces the odds of their children dropping out of school but is a determinate of their children continuing their education at the post secondary level. Postsecondary education has a strong effect on opportunities for employment and personal income. Individuals who hold a university degree are likely to earn three times the annual income of those who did not complete high school.
1. Review/conduct a community needs assessment in relation to post secondary
program interests of individuals and needs of the community.
2. Establish individual educational plans for those wishing to pursue career options.
3. Only provide post-secondary funding for persons choosing to attend institutions
that are accredited by the province of Alberta.
Working Together 56
4. Enter into discussions with various levels of government and post secondary
institutions for the increased post secondary training in the Maskwacis
community.
Working Together 57
CHAPTER 4
"Like a stone tossed into a pond, our actions ripple into the world, touching others in our families and communities."8
From traditional times in First Nations cultures, health [has meant] balance and harmony within and among each of the four aspects of human nature: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual (Mussell et al., 1991, p. 19). This balance is paramount as the people are confronted with significant issues particularly in the area of health and wellness. The Assembly of First
Nations (2008), however, argued that First Nations people in Canada
Live in third world conditions
Face a crisis in housing and living conditions
Face increased rates of suicide, diabetes, and tuberculosis
Die earlier than other Canadians (p.1-3).
These issues are fundamental for the people of today – with a significant portion of the population under twenty-four years of age and for future generations.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The age distribution of First Nations populations living on and off reserve, in
Canada (2006) is shown below.
8 Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada
57 Working Together 58
Table 4-1 Population and Age
Total On reserve Off reserve Age groups number % number % Number % Total - Age groups 698025 100 300755 100 397265 100 0 to 14 years 224790 32 102425 34 122360 31 15 to 24 years 124835 18 55835 19 69000 17 25 to 54 years 272250 39 109680 36 162570 41 55 to 64 years 44175 6 18055 6 26120 7 65 years and over 31975 5 14760 5 17210 4 Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2006
Samson Cree Nation demographics are similar to these national norms.
Table 4-2
Total Age Groups Number % Total - Age groups 6816 100 0 to 14 years 2595 38 15 to 24 years 1720 25 25 to 54 years 2172 32 55 to 64 years 199 3 65 years & over 130 2
Table 4-2: Samson Cree Nation population as of June 2008
EMPLOYMENT
In 2001, the highest proportion of Aboriginal children aged 5 to 14 living in two-parent families where both parents worked full-time was found among the Métis population (46%), followed by the Inuit (40%) and North American Indian (38%) populations. These proportions are below the figure for the total Canadian population (49%), and reflect the high unemployment
Working Together 59 rate in some First Nations communities and in the North. (Report of the Pan-Canadian Education
Indicators Program, 2007)
In Canada the average hourly earnings rose 6% in real terms over the last decade, from
17.68 (2002$) in 1997 to $18.80 in 2007. The strong increases observed in Alberta over the last decade had a clear impact on the province‟s earnings distribution. The proportion of jobs paying less than $10 per hour (in 2002) fell by fully 10 percentage points, dropping to 12% in
2007. Conversely, high-paying jobs became more prevalent, as the proportion of jobs paying at least $25 per hour rose by 7 points. (Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 75-001-X, p.13)
According to the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey, the median personal income by highest level of education completed is shown in figure 4-1 below.
Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey 2008
Figure 4-1: Median income
The number of jobs is limited within the area and surrounding Samson Cree Nation and the trend being observed is that more and younger people are seeking employment off-reserve.
As the population continues to grow, the economic base of the nation cannot sustain the growth necessary for those seeking employment.
Working Together 60
Figure 4–1: Samson Cree Nation Employment
FIRST NATION CHILDREN
According to the Statistics Canada (2006) on-reserve population data, children (under fourteen years) comprise about one-third (34%) of on-reserve First Nations people were aged 14 and under (Catalogue no. 97-558, p.44). Samson Cree Nation demographics are no exception: over one-third (38%) of the population are 14 and under, over half (63%) of the population are aged 24 and under. While most First Nations children lived with relatives, they are twice as likely to live in a lone-parent family. Just under one-third (31%) of First Nations children aged
14 and under lived with a lone mother, more than twice the proportion of 14% among non-
Aboriginal children. Similarly, 6 % of First Nations children lived with a lone father, compared with only 3% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. (Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 97-558, p.44)
Working Together 61
CHILD POVERTY
Scruby (2007) stated that women living in low-income conditions with children face ongoing challenges of juggling multiple responsibilities: challenges which add tremendous stress to their lives and the lives of their children. These women and their children face a low quality life, varying from social exclusion to restricted access to health and support services, housing, childcare, food, security and education (Scruby, 2007, p. 7). Children of mothers living in poverty are poor because their mothers social conditions. Thus poverty can exclude women and their families from participating in many social activities – activities which contribute to a positive sense of well-being and quality of life including meaningful employment, sports, leisure or recreation activities, education or skills upgrading and volunteering or civic participation.
The stresses of living in poverty Reid & Tom (2006) argued was seen to have a negative impact on the psychological health of women and was linked to negatively influencing the overall health of the family (Reid & Tom, 2006). Living in rural or remote areas often created further barriers to accessing health and mental services and feeling dependent on social assistance can further add to feelings of isolation. Reid and Tom assert that “to have social identity as a poor woman
(and child) on welfare is to live and act under a set of disparaging discourses” (2006, p. 419).
Dominant discourse portrays women on social assistance as being unmotivated, lazy, with poor self-control, and as a drain on social resources.
Distribution of Household Income for First Nations Children
According to the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey of 2008, 44% of
First Nations children live in household with less than $20,000.
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Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey 2008
Figure 4-1: Household Income
1 in 6 Canadian children are living below the poverty line, 1 in 4 First Nations children living in a First Nations community are living below the Poverty Line.
Tarasuk (2003) defines food insecurity “as the limited, inadequate or insecure access of individuals and households to sufficient, safe, nutritious, personally acceptable food to meet their dietary requirements for a healthy and productive life.” The factor of food security is linked with income and can determine the health of the individual (Power, 2005). Inadequate quantity and poor nutritional quality of food are linked to physical health problems and psychological health problems (Power, 2005).
CHILDREN IN CARE
The health of First Nations children is vital to their well being. It is important children receive love, attention, nurturing and support in order to grow into healthy adults. Many children, for a variety of reasons, do not live with their parents but rather reside with others/live in care. Children in-care has been an ongoing issue for people in the Maskwacis area: The
Working Together 63 number of children in care has continued to rise over the years and currently there are 421
(Kasokowew, 2008) children presently living in care.
Primary Care Givers for First Nations Children
Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey 2008
Figure 4-2: Primary Care Givers
CHILDREN AND HEALTH
The health of First Nations children is vital to their well being. Some of the serious conditions children face includes FASD birth affects, family violence, poverty, and crowded homes. The First Nations Regional Longitudinal Heal Survey (2008) documented that First
Nations children have poor health status: children showing high rates of injuries, allergies or asthma, chronic bronchitis, ear infections, and learning disabilities. Juvenile diabetes and malnutrition are also health issues for children in some communities.
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Top 5 Medical Conditions Among First Nations Children
Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey 2008
Figure 4-3 Medical Conditions Among First Nations Children
FAMILY HOUSING
Crowded living conditions are a common reality on reserves. First Nations people are five times more likely than non-Aboriginal people to live in crowded homes (crowding is defined as more than one person per room). A large percentage of the on-reserve population live in homes identified as very crowded. One in 10 (11%) live in a dwelling with 1.5 people or more per room. Crowded living conditions are considerably more common on-reserves located in the three Prairie Provinces. In Alberta about 31% of on-reserve First Nations people live in a home with more than one person per room (Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 97-558, p.45).
Overcrowded homes in need of repair are a significant factor of on-reserve living. First
Nations people are four times more likely than non-Aboriginal people, to live in dwellings requiring repairs. In 2006, 28% of First Nations people lived in a home in need of major repairs,
Working Together 65 compared with just 7% of the non-Aboriginal population (the need for major repairs was in the judgment of respondents). Regionally, the proportion of on-reserve First Nations people living in dwellings in need of major repairs was considerably higher in the three prairie provinces, 52% in Alberta (Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 97-558, p.46-47).
HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUES
Intergenerational Connection (connecting language and families)
Language is often recognized as the essence of a culture. The Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples (1996) stated that the revitalization of traditional languages is a key component in the creation of healthy individuals and communities. Language is „not only a means of communication, but a link which connects people with their past and grounds their social, emotional and spiritual vitality” (Canadian Social Trends, no 51, Statistics Canada,
Catalogue no. 11-008, p.8). Across Canada there are some 50 or more individual languages belonging to 11 Aboriginal language families. These languages reflect distinctive histories, cultures and identities linked to family, community, the land and traditional knowledge. For many First Nation, Inuit and Métis people, these languages are at the very core of their identity.
Aboriginal peoples, though, are confronted with the fact that many of their languages are disappearing. Over the past 100 years or more, at least ten once flourishing languages have become extinct.
The ability to speak an ancestral language is one way of passing knowledge from generation to another. While 83% of First Nations seniors aged 75 and over speak an
Aboriginal language, residential schools, government policies, and social factors have impeded the Indigenous languages transfer. Declining trends in the intergenerational transmission of
Aboriginal mother tongues are being offset to a degree by the fact that Aboriginal languages are
Working Together 66 also being learned as second languages. Gaining the ability to speak the language of their parents or grandparents, enables young Aboriginal people to communicate with older family members in their traditional language and the process of learning one‟s Aboriginal language may also contribute to increased self-esteem and well-being (Statistics Canada-Catalogue no. 97-558, p.48).
Currently, only a minority of the Aboriginal population in Canada is able to speak or understand an Aboriginal language. According to 2001 Census data, of the 976,300 people who identified themselves as Aboriginal, 235,000 (or 24%) reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language. Increasing the number of second language speakers is part of the process of language revitalization, and may go some way towards preventing, or at least slowing, the rapid erosion and possible extinction of endangered languages and contribute to cultural continuity (Statistics Canada-Catalogue No. 11-008, p.19).
FAMILY VIOLENCE
The Aboriginal Family Healing Joint Steering Committee (1993) defined family violence
“as the consequence to colonization, forced assimilation, and cultural genocide; the learned negative cumulative, multi-generational actions, values, beliefs, attitudes and behavioural patterns practiced by one or more people that weaken or destroy the harmony and well-being of an Aboriginal individual, family, extended family, community or nationhood” (p.10).
What is Family Violence?
Physical abuse is any physical act intended to harm, injure or inflict pain on another person, including slapping, punching, burning, kicking, biting, pushing, hair-pulling, choking, shoving hitting, with an object, threatening with an object such as a knife or gun, and any action that causes physical harm to another person.
Psychological violence involves the abuse of power and control over another person. It includes inducing fear by intimidating, terrorizing or threatening, humiliating, insulting, degrading, destroying property, isolation a person from friends and family and withholding emotions of love, or caring.
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Sexual abuse includes all acts of unwanted sexual attention or exploitation, including inappropriate touching or molesting, exposing a victim to pornographic material, sexual assault with an object, forced bondage, date rape, gang rape, rape within an intimate relationship and sexual harassment.
Child sexual abuse is any sexual contact inflicted on a child and includes all acts described above including sexual abuse.
Incest is any form of sexual contact or attempted sexual contact between relatives, no matter how distant the relationship.
Financial abuse is any act which involves the deceitful or immoral use of another person‟s money or belongings (for example, the misappropriation of resources, using another person‟s money or resources to exert power and control over them, taking pension money or other forms of family support, forcing parents to provide free child care, denying one‟s family of money for food or shelter).
Spiritual abuse entails the erosion or breaking down of one‟s cultural or religious belief system.
A study by the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (1991) found that the three leading factors which sustained family violence were (1) alcohol and substance abuse; (2) economic problems; and (3) intergenerational abuse (Frank, 1992, p. 17).
Parents are primarily responsible for taking care of and guiding the development of their children. It takes a community to raise a child: the extended family and community as a whole shares responsibility with and supports the parents in carrying out their responsibilities.
Examples of community support of parents in carrying out their responsibilities include helping parents deal with behavioural challenges, teaching parents coping skills, providing respite care, and facilitating parents‟ access to helpful information. This approach is consistent with First Nations and Inuit concepts of approaching issues holistically, as families and communities (McLeod, 1997).
The Framework for the First Nations and Inuit Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol
Effects Initiative gives focus to one of the significant health and wellness issues facing communities. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders – totally preventable since FASD results from
Working Together 68 the effects of alcohol during pregnancy- requires “extraordinary health care, social services, corrections and educational services that represent significant monetary costs to society” (BC
FAS Resources Society, 1998, p. 14). The economic and social costs associated with FASD have significant impact on communities across Canada. The rates of FASD/FAE in some First
Nations and Inuit communities are more prevalent than in other areas of Canada.
HEALTHY EATING
Obesity is recognized as a risk factor for a variety of serious health problems such as
Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (World Health Organization, 2000). Among 19 to
50 year olds, the soft drink consumption of Aboriginal people significantly exceeded that of non-
Aboriginal people. For example, at ages 19 to 30, Aboriginal women averaged 450 grams of regular soft drinks a day, about 3 times as much as non-Aboriginal women (139 grams).
Aboriginal men consumed significantly more 961 grams vs. 632 grams for non-
Aboriginal men. In the sandwich category (which includes not only sandwiches per se, but also pizza, submarines, hamburgers and hot dogs) contributed more fat to the Canadian diet than did any other single category. This type of food was also a popular choice for Aboriginal people aged 19 to 50. Low educational attainment has been related to obesity for adults overall.
Aboriginal people in lower-income households were more likely to be obese (Statistics Canada, catalogue 82-003, p.1-10).
Results of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (2008) demonstrated that almost half of First Nation children are overweight, with an additional 13.8% at risk of becoming overweight. 73.6% of men and 75.2% of women are considered overweight, obese, or morbidly obese.
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Men’s Diabetes Rates by Age First Nations vs. Canada
Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (2008)
Figure 4-4 Men’s Diabetes Rages by age and comparison
Women’s Diabetes Rates by Age First Nations vs. Canada
Source: First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (2008)
Figure 4-5 Women’s Diabetes rates by age and comparison
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MORTALITY
In a study to determine the distribution of health status across groups defined by income, education, occupation, language and ethnicity. These studies have mainly investigated differences by education and occupation, and have consistently shown lower education levels and lower-status occupational categories (and the economically inactive) to have the highest mortality rates, and higher education levels and higher status occupational categories (managerial and professional) to have the lowest mortality rates.
The lowest mortality rates were among were among the university-educated, the employed those in professional and managerial occupations, and those in the top income brackets. The highest mortality rates were among people with less than secondary graduation, those who were employed, or not in the labour force, those in unskilled jobs, and those in the lowest income brackets (Wilkins, Tjepkema, Mustard, Choiniere, 2008).
Table 4-3 Number of Suicides by Ethnicity Alberta, 1999-2003 Ethnicity 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total Black 1 2 1 2 1 7 Caucasian 383 352 404 389 395 1923 East Indian 5 2 4 2 2 15 Inuit 1 0 0 0 0 1 Metis 9 8 4 6 4 31 Native 43 35 49 33 34 194 Other 11 5 8 4 5 33 Southeast Asian 5 5 7 13 6 36 Unknown 1 1 0 0 6 8 Data Source: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (1998-2005). Suicides in Alberta, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003.
The numbers of suicides of Métis and Native individuals make up 10% of the number of suicides however, Aboriginal people make up only 6% of the population.
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Figure 4-7 Samson Cree Nation Mortality Averages 2000-2008
Statistically, the mortality rate within Samson Cree Nation over the past seven years is: 44% Health related 20% Other 19% Self inflicted 17 % Accident
A review of mortality stats for Samson Cree Nation (January 2000 – July 28, 2008) is indicated below in Figure 4-8.
Working Together 72
Working Together 73
Figure 4-9 below further depicts the deceased rate per year for 2000-2008.
Summary of Findings:
In 2007 “other” deaths accounted for 54%, the highest it‟s been over the past 7 years, this
figure doubled from the previous year (in 2006 it was 23%).
Historical review of ages of deceased members tells us that more than 50% are over 51
years of age.
This rate changes drastically in the year 2005, where persons between the ages of 31 to
50 accounted for 12 deaths in the community, while age group 51 and over accounted for
14 deaths.
In 2006 this trend also continues with 11 persons deceased between the ages of 31 to 50,
the highest number of deaths for this year.
In 2007 the second highest number of deaths occurred in the age range of persons
between ages 18 to 30 at 9 deaths, this is also the year were 54% of deaths were
categorized as “other”.
Working Together 74
In 2008 the community has already experienced a loss of 12 members between the age of
31 to 50, matching the numbers in year 2005 and below the year 2003 (this had the
highest number of deaths for this category).
CRIME AND VICIMIZATION
Youth and Adults in custody and community services Various groups within Canadian society experience higher rates of violent victimization: factors such as being young, single, going to school, unemployed, earning a low income, living in an urban area, and those who engage in 30 or more evening activities a month tend to contribute to a person‟s increased risk of being a target of a violent crime. Aboriginal people experienced rates of violence victimization that are three times higher than the non-Aboriginal population (Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 89-630-X).
Youth There were approximately 7,500 Aboriginal youth admitted to either custody of probation in 2005/2006. Aboriginal youth represented 31% of admissions to sentenced custody, 23% of admissions to remand and 22% of admissions to probation, yet accounted for 6% of youth in
Canada (Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 85-002-X).
Adults Aboriginal people continued to have high levels of representation in custody. According to the 2006 census, Aboriginal people represented 4% of the adult population in Canada, yet they accounted for 24% of adult admissions to provincial territorial custody, 19% of admissions to remand and 18% of admissions to federal custody (Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 85-002-XIE).
Crime statistics for the Maskwacis area of provided below in Table 4-2.
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Table 4-2: Hobbema RCMP Detachment Criminal Case Load
Hobbema Detachment Criminal Case load - 5 year comparison Crime 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Homicide 3 2 1 2 2 Robbery 9 4 8 9 7 Assault 878 899 943 908 739 B & E 322 220 222 258 232 Theft > 5000 360 310 315 317 389 Drugs 133 105 85 79 96
Firearms related complaints for 2006 Total 300 Firearms related complaints for 2007 Total 236 Source: Hobbema RCMP Detachment office (2008)
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Engaging in drug and alcohol abuse are harmful behaviors, both to the individual and their families and the community at large. This harmful behavior usually has major consequences from ill health to life style. There are many issues surrounding alcohol and substance abuse, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in 2004 identified historic trauma and intergenerational grief as “The experience of historic trauma and inter-generational grief can best be described as psychological baggage being passed from parents to children with the trauma and grief experienced in each individual‟s lifetime. ….. Unresolved historic trauma will continue to impact individuals, families and communities until the trauma has been addressed mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.” (Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 2004, p.3)
One of the other major concerns is drug related problems including personal and family unhappiness, dependency, physical and mental health problems premature death, lost productivity, increased crime, highway crashes, and ever growing costs of law enforcement and
Working Together 76 health care. (Health Canada, 2000) Insufficient rehabilitation programs for those seeking support is another major concern, accessibility to those programs and lack of community support programs, including many other variables make it tough to stop substance abuse.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Youth Centre
There are many issues challenging the youth of Samson Cree Nation today. They need a place to call their own. Throughout many of the meetings held with various departments and with the High School students it became evident that there was a void. A Youth Centre is needed that provides a variety of services for the youth. It could be utilized as a Safe House, drop-in centre and recreation center. It should provide counseling services, for youth that need someone to talk to, for youth looking to exit gangs and for youth dealing with addictions. It should be a safe place for youth to go to any time day or night. In the evening it could act as a crisis centre for youth in emergencies. It should be a place youth can go to congregate and have fun. It should have a gym with up to date sporting equipment. It should have a computer lab and a music recording studio. The youth centre should contain an art studio. It should also be a centre where youth can connect with their culture and have the opportunity to meet with elders and have a sweat or learn to make traditional foods. Each department that has an impact on the quality of life for youth should hold office hours at the youth centre on a rotating basis, departments such as Education, Social Services, Human Resources, and Community Wellness etc. It should be a place youth want to go and are excited to go. It should be a place youth always feel comfortable and at home.
Working Together 77
Youth
1. Provide summer options for youth willing to engage in self-discipline. One successful
program called Bold Eagle has successfully helped youth to pursue meaningful
careers, develop self-esteem and personal development.
(www.army.forces.gc.ca/boldeagle)
2. Provide summer sport skill camp activities for younger children.
3. Facilitate senior/youth mentoring opportunities: activities varying from cultural to
sports or other venues.
4. Create more programs that related to art, music and culture.
5. Provide the opportunity for the development of a youth council that can determine
some effective programs for youth to participate in.
6. Establish a recognition program for athletes.
7. Establish a mentoring program that youth may participate in.
8. Create a policy that states no more funerals or wakes to be held at the Howard
Buffalo Memorial Centre as it changes the atmosphere of the center.
9. Actively advertise programs to the youth.
10. Create programs to target a wider and more diverse audience.
11. Create a safe house for the youth. This safe house could be based along the same
principles as Youth Emergency Shelter. (www.yess.org).
Wellness
1. Establish Eat-right Evenings: Monthly community dinners/activities.
2. Provide mentoring/partnership opportunities between teenage mothers and older
community women. Also create this type of program for male parents.
3. Offer workshops on dietary needs for children and adults and elders.
Working Together 78
4. Provide easy access to counseling.
5. Improve the accessibility and communication of information to handle issues of
substance abuse.
6. Establish support groups for men and women.
7. Provide information and opportunities to give focus to family violence.
8. Establish an active-living plan for elders.
9. Develop a recreation program for special needs.
10. Set up a kids help phone line for the Maskwacis area.
11. Set up a suicide hotline for the Maskwacis area.
12. Establish a community garden, work with various departments to ensure community
members gain access to it.
13. Provide opportunities for Elders to participate in Community events.
14. Provide recreational programs for Elders to participate in.
15. Create a wellness centre that is a one stop shop for community members. They can
obtain counseling, income support and food bank services in one area.
16. Provide support groups for parents with children in gangs.
17. Offer a variety of parenting classes to assist with a variety of family issues.
18. Create an information care packages for families, it should contain information about
all wellness services available to Nation members.
Housing
1. Review occupancy of Samson owned housing.
2. Create a screening process for Housing Selection and an application fee.
3. Make home occupants more accountable for any damage caused to their houses or
their property.
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4. Establish a Rules of Occupancy Bylaw for all Home Occupants that has a strict no
drugs or violence statement.
5. Have home occupants submit annual Criminal Record Checks.
6. Perform random inspections on housing to ensure proper occupants.
7. Review feasibility of housing construction outside of Townsite.
8. Review feasibility of building homes to facilitate intergenerational support.
9. Diversify types of homes built. The majority of families within Samson Cree Nation
consist of more than 4 people.
10. Update housing list and establish a yearly survey process to maintain this
information.
11. Set up do-it-yourself and home repair workshops for home occupants to maintain
their residence.
12. Create an incentive program for responsible home occupants.
13. Establish criteria for renovations.
14. Renovations and repairs should be centralized through Maintenance Shop and Trades
Center.
15. Consider implementing user fees for minor housing repairs.
16. Define roles and responsibilities of Housing Department.
17. Establish a proper bid and tender system within the Housing department.
18. Conduct a financial audit.
19. Have 3rd party inspectors to do inspections.
Justice
1. Create a Residency Bylaw to define residents of Samson Cree Nation. Enoch Cree
Nation has created a Residency Bylaw. Westbank First Nation has also created a
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Child and Youth Protection Law. These laws define who is allowed in the
community and if they breach these bylaws they are evicted. They both have
processes for reinstatement. Both of these Bylaws should be researched and adapted
to meet the needs of Samson Cree Nation.
2. Create an Eviction Bylaw based on the new Residency Bylaw.
3. Provide sessions for parents re: youth gang violence.
4. Review opportunities to ensure options for restorative justice programs are available
and implemented.
5. Provide legal and counseling support for youth facing legal action.
6. Set criteria for those requiring legal assistance.
7. Create legal informational sessions for minor legal issues; divorce, custody, support,
fine option and maintenance.
8. Have fine option assist with community service work, ie shovel elders sidewalks,
clean yards, clean up graffiti etc.
9. Establish a 911 Emergency system for Maskwacis community.
Employment:
1. Consider establishing a recycling center on reserve.
2. Create a plan to increase the economic base on reserve.
3. Seek more funding to assist entrepreneur development.
4. Create a plan to make more building space available to increase the economic
activity on reserve.
5. Bring into the community more apprenticeship programs for all areas (plumbing,
welding, carpentry, etc.). Work with Nipisihkopahk Secondary School for this
program.
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6. Apply for grants to upgrade equipment to maintain the number of jobs existing.
7. Utilizing the fish bowl space (SCN Administration building) develop a gift shop that
sells SCN promotional items and acts an information kiosk for SCN.
8. Create an employment feasibility study to determine why so many on income support
are not actively pursuing employment.
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CHAPTER 5
GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE
When you begin a great work you can’t expect to finish it all at once; therefore, do you and your brothers press on, and let nothing discourage you til you have entirely finished what you have begun…I will press on9.
As Samson Cree Nation grapples with how to “take back” its community by ameliorating drug and alcohol abuse, gangs, crime, and intimidation issues, community discussions bring to the forefront the looming collision of the “jagged worlds” of culture, traditions, and worldview as well as sovereignty and self-determination.
Change is not an easy task. Such a goal for First Nations people is marred by the complexities of legal jurisdictions. The Indian Act enacted in 1876 “superimposes” on First
Nations people “legal consequences” which affect “everyday life” (Elliott, 1997, p. 9). Imai
(1999) stated that all decisions affecting their daily life were made for First Nations people by force of law, a process to which they have had little if any input since “the federal and provincial governments (the Crown governments) have viewed the Constitution as providing powers to only two levels of government” – the federal and provincial levels (p. 5). The federal government has the authority to make laws in relation to “Indians, and lands reserved for
Indians,” and the “provinces also have authority to impose their laws on First Nations through a variety of mechanisms” (p.5). Imai argued the federal and provincial governments did not recognize that First Nations people had any independent authority to make laws or preserve their cultures (p. 5). The powers of the Chief and Council of a First Nation are limited at best:
Section 81 (1) of the Indian Act states the Chief and Council “may make by-laws not inconsistent with this [Indian] Act or with any regulation made by the Governor in Council or the
9 Teedyuscung, Delaware, ca 1705-1763
82 Working Together 83
Minister” (Imai, 2004, p. 144). The limitations imposed on First Nations through the Indian Act confines their by-law capability. As noted by Imai Section 82 (1) requires that copies of by- laws “shall be forwarded by mail by the Chief or member of the council of the band to the
Minister within four days after it is made” (p. 149). The control of the Indian Act is further demonstrated in Section 82 (2):
A by-law made under section 81 comes into force forty days after a copy thereof is
forwarded to the Minister pursuant to subsection (1), unless it is disallowed by the
Minister within that period, but the Minister may declare the by-law to be in force at any
time before the expiration of that period. (p. 149)
Thus while individual First Nations may create by-laws to address a specific community concerns, if the by-law is not approved by the Minister, the said by-law does not come into effect. The Minister has the final decision of accepting or rejecting by-laws. Many First
Nations who argue that they did not relinquish self-determination when they signed treaty with the Crown, are stymied by the Indian Act in establishing by-laws for their own community – they must acquiesce to the Indian Act and ensure by-laws are approved by the Minister.
While the Indian Act did not change with the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution in
1982, the new Constitution, nevertheless, fostered a significant change in principle if not in practice towards First Nations people. Section 35 (1) ensured “the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada is hereby recognized and affirmed,” recognizing that First Nations people had constitutional rights. The Supreme Court of Canada stated that
The „promise‟ of s.35…recognized not only the ancient occupation of land by Aboriginal
peoples, but their contribution to the building of Canada and the special commitments
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made to them by successive governments. [And] the protection of these rights…(Imai,
1999, p. 5)
First Nations have argued before the Canadian courts for recognition of rights, principles and implementation of agreements/contracts/treaties. They have won important principles in
Canadian courts such as but not limited to: Samson Capital Monies Transfer, Guerin v. The
Queen, 1984; Attorney-General of Quebec v. Sioui et al, 1990; R v. Sparrow, 1990; and
Delgamuukw et al. v. The Queen in the Right of British Columbia. Using the Canadian legal system, First Nations are re-exerting their control of and responsibility for their communities and its resources. Federal policy and the Indian Act, however, have not changed significantly since the enactment of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Despite the ever present restrictions and control implicit in the Indian Act, Samson Cree
Nation like other First Nations have, however, assumed program responsibility within the complexities of “the most undefined, uncertain, and fragile rights known to our law” (Elliott,
1997, p. 20). The legal conundrum affects all aspects of program and community initiatives: when the province of Alberta issued Keeping Communities Safe Report and Recommendations - a “province-wide strategy to tackle crime and keep our communities safe,” it noted
….services on reserves do not compare with those provided in other communities across
the province. It‟s time First Nations Bands and the federal and provincial governments
found better ways of respecting the intent of laws set decades ago – not letting those laws
stand in the way of much-needed and valuable services for First Nations people. (p. 67)
The Report noted further that “a province like Alberta, with its resources, caring attitude and support for communities, should not and cannot turn a blind eye to the serious problems on reserves – regardless of who is legally responsible” (p. 68). Recommendation #29 of the Report stated that Alberta:
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29. Partner with Alberta‟s First Nations and the federal government to jointly develop
pilot projects designed to build safer communities, reduce crime and address the needs of
at-risk community members. (p. 68)
The Report espoused that “this work needs to be initiated from inside these [First Nations] communities and supported by others outside the community” (p. 67) and through cooperation between all three levels of government.
STRUCTURE
Over the past four decades, First Nations across Canada have assumed administrative delivery for various programs which previously were administered by other levels of government. The Samson Cree negotiated with federal departments such as Indian Affairs and
Health Canada for direct delivery by the Nation of a variety of services. Annual funding arrangements with particular federal departments/agencies outline the specific program to be delivered, program criteria and funding levels. The Nation has established an administrative organization to deliver the programs. Currently, a proposed organizational structure identifies twelve departments as well as finance reporting to the Band Administrator who in turn reports to the Chief and Council. The organization chart reflects the individual programs that are transferred to the Nation – each department has specific criteria within which to operate and reports back to Chief and Council and to the respective federal department on how it has managed the program and allocated the specific funds. This creates program isolation (each department deals only with its own mandate and issues) and results in a fractured system – department personnel, for the most part, work independently rather than collectively with a focus on the issue and/or particular clients.
Program directors meet on a monthly basis to share information regarding their programs however, the silo effect and individual program criteria seem to prevent joint strategic planning
Working Together 86 and a holistic approach to programming. More in-depth inter-department communication, cooperation and joint action would be instrumental in creating common community approaches to individual and community issues.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Samson Cree Nation administers programs on-behalf of various levels of government as well as programs and initiatives which they fund themselves. To facilitate on- going cooperation and focus of the various departments and programs the following suggestions are offered:
ESTABLISH an intergovernmental, coordination/policy unit to
1. Coordinate and manage specifically focused meetings with representatives of
each department on a regular basis.
2. Organize information sessions with appropriate groups to ensure all available
programs and administrative options are in place to assist Samson Cree Nation
address community issues with:
i. Federal Government
ii. Provincial Government
iii. Non-government organizations
3. Seek out funding opportunities and coordinate and prepare submissions for
specific program initiatives.
4. Collate and maintain Samson Cree Nation data.
5. Create community programs to instill pride within the community members.
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6. Coordinate small specific inter-department partnerships/committees in the
following suggested areas:
7. Work with the Elders to create a working definition of an Elder from a
cultural perspective.
8. Create an Elder‟s Advisory Council.
9. Work with Departments to implement the recommendations generated from
the SCN Elder‟s Symposium held April 28, 2007, see report written by
Beverly Crier.
EMPLOYMENT: Establish a working committee consisting of:
Human Resources Department
Education
Social Assistance
Infrastructure
Maskwacis Community College
1. Review existing programs funded through (AHRDA) and opportunities to
partner with education to offer training programs, academic upgrading, and
pre-employment/apprentice training. The high school has excellent facilities
which are presently under utilized.
2. Establish comprehensive training program options for members of Samson
Cree Nation.
3. Pursue employment program funding options through provincial and federal
programs.
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4. Approach businesses in surrounding areas for opportunities for on-the-job
training opportunities.
5. Establish a long-term planning process for construction of homes, roads, and
utilities on the Samson Cree Nation and particularly within the Townsite.
6. Pursue drug testing for all Samson Cree Nation employees.
WELLNESS: Establish a working committee consisting of:
Wellness
Family support
Elders
Parents Place
Education
Recreation
Maskwacis Health
1, Review opportunities to blend programming and services.
2. Consider submitting application to Public Health Agency of
Canada (Health Canada) for project funding related to FASD in
in order to (a) assisting frontline workers, health professional, and
educators to access quality training to assist individuals and families re:
FASD.
3. Pursue opportunities for funding for Family Violence Prevention,
Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada.
4 . Review feasibility and options for funding the establishment of a
Women‟s Shelter and Youth Shelter for Samson members.
5. Integrate programming in the school re: anger management,
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Addictions.
6. Review feasibility of housing Parents‟ Place in the school.
7. Review options for joint planning and programming between Recreation
and Education focused on students and community members.
8. Pursue opportunities for transportation services for extra- curricular
activities.
9. Establish a Men‟s Workshop (quarterly) focused on traditional male roles,
information sessions – teepee building, health issues, etc.
10. Establishing a supporting parents program: child development,
understanding gangs, understanding youth, strengthening families, social
and sports activities and how to build family units.
11. Pursue funding dollars to establish a safe house.
12. Complete a study on the recreation facility condition and consider avenues
of renovating and updating this facility.
13. Pursue development of a rehabilitation centre for the Maskwacis area.
14. Establish selection criteria for those utilizing wellness services to ensure
no abuse will take place.
YOUTH RECREATION CENTRE: Establish an on-going working committee
Chief & Council
Recreation
Elders
Community members
1. To seek out funding for the development of a multi-use youth recreation
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Centre.
2. Establish recreation programs for kids of all ages to participate in
competitive, non competitive sports and recreation.
3. Within the centre there will also be cultural/traditional room, a gathering
place for sharing Cree cultural traditions.
4. Establish a meeting place for local programs, such as:
Boys & Girls Club
After-school Clubs
YOUTH INTERVENTION: Establish an on-going working committee
Legal Support
Wellness
Education
RCMP
Elders
1. To develop a gang exit strategy for implementation.
2. Establish a counseling/support/liaison system for youth in trouble
with the law.
3. Establish a Youth Drop-in Centre which provides counseling,
support from Elders, awareness training – drugs, alcohol, gangs.
4. Review Youth and Restorative Justice program/projects
implemented by Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN)
5. Increase opportunities for cultural activities.
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ADMINISTRATION:
Samson Cree Nation Administration has diverse multi faceted responsibilities. It
manages a variety of programs both Samson Cree Nation program/initiatives and others
on behalf of various other levels of government. Samson Cree Nation Administration
should:
1. Review departmental administrative costs which vary
significantly from department to department
i. Are there savings in shared common services?
ii. Review options for the Band Finance organization
administering Educational finances.
2. Ensure professional and development plan is in place for each
Employee.
3. Bring together appropriate individuals to consider a Flexible
agreement with FNIB which would allow for priority setting and
flexibility within and between programs.
4. Invite INAC to do present options for and benefits of self-
Government.
5. Consider possibility of recruiting a funding coordinator to seek out grants,
funding, and sponsorship opportunities for the various departments.
6. Work with other four nations to establish a 911 system in the community.
LEGAL: Establish an on-going working committee
Legal Support
Protection Services
Infrastructure
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Wellness
RCMP
Education
1. In consultation with Housing, complete a review of home occupancy of
Samson owned housing.
2. Prepare by-law governing:
a. residency in of band members and other persons on
the Samson Cree Nation
b. trespassing on the Samson Cree Nation
3. Review options – for a special constables training program for members of
the Samson Cree Nation – related to security, assisting RCMP, etc.
4. Establish a system/court liaison ensuring specific individuals are
counseled/aware of sentences/bail conditions.
5. Work with Elders to establish traditional processes for assisting
individuals who are at risk and/or in trouble.
6. Review opportunities and feasibility of establishing alternative sentencing
measures.
7. Establish an appeal process for bylaws.
8. Work with schools to create a monthly workshop for students to attend.
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SECURITY
1. Review existing security status, consider providing training, review of
procedures for securing buildings, schools and businesses.
2. Review positioning of security cameras within the SCN Administration and
within the Samson Mall. Feasibility study of setting up cameras within the
town site.
3. Review Curfew bylaw and address existing gaps.
4. Provide opportunity to train individuals for citizens on patrol (COPS).
5. Provide Special Constable training to support security for SCN.
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CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION
The errant bullet which injured two year old Asia Saddleback as she sat in her home became, for the Samson Cree Nation, a point of „rallying together to get rid of the rising gang presence‟ within their community. It is a task which requires the deep reflection, action, and sustained focus. Aboriginal gangs though recent phenomena have been a long time in the making. Grekul, and LaBoucane-Benson (2007) argued that in many cases. Aboriginal youth become involved with gangs because they have nothing to live for: “Lives disrupted by dysfunctional families, lack of educational and work opportunities, and negative peer associations are compounded by systemic discrimination and labeling” (p. 2). Samson Cree
Nation has begun the difficult journey of reclaiming their community. A multi-dimensional approach has been initiated:
1 The Chief & Council struck a Task Force to provide the overall focus direction to
combat the recruitment and growth of gangs within their midst.
2 The community worked with the RCMP to increase police presence, establish
curfews, and implement a program to turn in unregistered guns.
3 Citizens in Action formed to re-establish Samson Cree Nation as a safe place to
live, develop, and be proud of themselves and their community.
4 The Nations administrative units initiated closer ties with each other to address
individual and community needs.
5 School children participated in educational activities such as writing essays on
keeping their community safe.
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Community members began talking about the issue within their community and together implemented steps to create a safer community.
To counteract the recruitment of youth into gangs and the proliferation of gang activity within the midst of the Samson Cree Nation community, however, requires major prolonged investment of time and resources by community members and various levels of government.
Causal factors for gang membership are not recent events but rather long standing factors: residential school syndrome, lack of quality and equitable educational , opportunities, limited employment opportunities, overcrowded and poor housing facilities, significant healthy issues, poverty, and lack of self determination in everyday decision-making. While these factors cannot be ameliorated overnight, simultaneous action of (1) preventive programs which focus on youth- at-risk and (2) intervention programming for individuals already committed to criminal/gang lifestyle is necessitated. The Task Force Report has embraced the holistic approach to addressing issues through:
1. Lifelong educational programming for all community members.
2. Targeted employment training and job opportunities.
3. Community healing.
4. Parental training and support.
5. Healthy lifestyle focus.
6. Working together across Samson Cree Nation administrative units, and between all
three levels of government.
The Report is part of the continuum: future work includes detailed work plans, on-going community dialogue and action, and long term commitment to prevention and intervention program strategies. True success will affect the quality of life for all Samson Cree Nation membership, let’s work together to make this happen.
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APPENDIX A
Samson Cree Nation - Community Meeting for Gang Prevention - Strategies/Suggestions
Possible Program/Department Suggestion Issue Involvement
1 Create Curfew Justice Initiatives Legal Support
Radio Programming - Only play 2 Administrative Hawk Radio clean music
Involve Elders in all Samson Cree 3 Administrative Administration Nation Programs
Unite all 4-nations on Anti-Gang Task Force, Chief and Council, 4 Administrative Strategy Legal Support
5 Redesign the skate park to be safer Administrative Youth and Sports Development
Have Random Drug Testing put 6 Administrative Administration, Personnel into Employment Policy
Get more street lights by obtaining 7 Administrative Administration, Public Works corporate sponsors
More funding towards recreation 8 programs, youth, playground, Administrative Administration security
Utilize our facilities to their fullest 9 Administrative Administration potential
Have people pay for their own utility 10 Administrative Administration, Chief and Council bills.
Have Metal Detectors in Schools Administration and Nipisihkopahk 11 Administrative and other facilities Education Authority
12 Create Safeguards for the daycare Administrative Administration, Personnel, Daycare
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13 Enact Tribal Law Meeting Minutes Administrative Legal Support, Chief and Council from 2007 - parent patrols
Evict people from houses that are Authority over 14 Legal Support, Bylaw known for Drug Activity Housing
Create Bylaws for Housing, Authority over 15 Housing, Legal Support Evictions and Waiting Lists Housing
Authority over 16 Cut off the Power on Drug Houses Housing Housing
Maintenance, Youth and Sports 17 Community Clean Up Community Pride Development, Public Works
18 Enhance Community Involvement Community Pride Youth and Sports Development
19 Create Paint Teams to battle graffiti Community Pride Maintenance, Public Works
20 Create a fencing program Community Pride Public Works
Create Parents Group for Daycare Daycare, Nipisihkopahk Education 21 Community Pride and Schools Authority
22 Crime Stoppers Program Crime Prevention RCMP, Legal Support
Create Programs to foster/enhance Archives, Wellness, Youth and 23 Culture Cree Culture Sports Development
24 Have Cree Language Classes Culture Archives, Recreation
25 Teach Traditional Use of Guns Culture HBMC, Elders Program
Youth and Sports Development, 26 Youth Camps Culture/Recreation Legal Support, Elders Program
Develop a Dropout Prevention 27 Education Nipisihkopahk Education Authority Program
28 Create safer Bussing for children Education Nipisihkopahk Education Authority
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29 Nipisihkopahk Education Authority, Create an Adult Education Center Education Income Support
Implement History into our 30 Education Nipisihkopahk Education Authority education programs
Work on Tuition Agreements with 31 Education Nipisihkopahk Education Authority INAC to get more funding
32 Create more employment Employment Personnel, Human Resources
33 Do not expand the townsite Housing Housing
Have homeowners pay for their 34 Housing Public Works, Housing own repairs
Create Safe Playgrounds in Youth and Sports Development and 35 Infrastructure Townsite Public Works
Seized Drug Money should be 36 Justice Initiatives Legal Support deposited into youth programs
Turn Pesakastew into a healing 37 Justice Initiatives Legal Support Centre for Community
Legal Alternatives with justice 38 Justice Initiatives Legal Support system
Have our own Tribal Police/Security 39 Justice Initiatives Legal Support, Security with ppl who know the community
Create a Safe House in the 40 townsite and have an emergency Justice Initiatives Legal Support, Security contact number
Have a safe place where people 41 Justice Initiatives Legal Support, RCMP can turn in their weapons
Mandatory Program for Gang 42 Justice Initiatives Legal Support, RCMP Members
Hold Parents accountable for Legal Support, Hobbema Parents 43 Justice Initiatives children's actions Place, RCMP
Work with CNR to get ride of train Justice Initiatives/ 44 Legal Support, Chief and Council whistle blasts Administrative
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45 Stop Drug Dealers at 4 Nations Justice Initiatives/ Legal Support, Security, RCMP Borders and conduct Road Blocks Security
46 Revive Cree TV Media
47 Create an info channel on TV Media
48 Parent Role Model Program Mentoring Every Dept.
Healthy Families, Hobbema Parents 49 Tough Love Program Parenting Place, Kasohkowew
Save a Child - Save a Teen Nipisihkopahk Education Authority 50 Parenting Program and Youth and Sports Development
Youth and Sports Development, 51 Boot Camp Program Parenting Legal Support
Parenting Programs for Young Healthy Families, Hobbema Parents 52 Parenting Parents Place, Kasohkowew
"Nipisihkopahk" Approach to Child 53 Parenting/ Culture Hobbema Parents Place Discipline/Rearing
54 Have a Soup Kitchen for Kids Poverty Income Support, Food Bank
Build Positive 55 Public Relations Administration Media/stories/relations
Nipisihkopahk Education Authority 56 Create more programs for the Arts Recreation and Youth and Sports Development
57 Reduce HBMC membership fee Recreation Youth and sports Development
Utilize the Jonas Applegarth Recreation/ 58 Nipisihkopahk Education Authority Theatre and have Movie Nights Education
59 Banish Drug Dealers Sovereignty Administration, Legal Support
60 Create a Dry Reserve Sovereignty Legal Support, Chief and Council
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61 Create Programs to Deal with Wellness Wellness Addictions
Nipisihkopahk Education Authority Create Programs to foster/enhance 62 Youth and Youth and Sports Development youth identity and Legal Support
Allow youth to speak to leadership 63 Youth in an open forum
Nipisihkopahk Education Authority 64 After school programs Youth and Youth and Sports Development
Create Programs so drug dealers Nipisihkopahk Education Authority 65 Youth don't use young kids as runners and Youth and Sports Development
Create Suicide Prevention 66 Youth Wellness Programs
67 Create More Recreation Programs Youth Youth and Sports Development
Create Transportation for Youth to 68 Youth Transportation Town so they can work in town
Create more prevention and 69 All departments intervention programs
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APPENDIX B
SAMSON SAFE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE
TERMS OF REFERENCE
WHEREAS the Samson Chief and Council has expressed its deep concern about an increase in violence in the Maskwachees Community and is committed to take immediate and meaningful action to reduce violence on the Samson Reserve and to make the Samson Cree Nation a safe place for all;
WHEREAS the Samson Chief and Council has called upon all Samson members to come together for a common purpose, to pinpoint issues of concern, to identify resources and to continue to work together to make the Samson Community a safe and healthy environment for Samson children to grow up in and be proud of;
WHEREAS on April 16, 2008 the Samson Chief and Council resolved that it was in the best interests of the Samson Cree Nation to create a Samson Safe Community Task Force to review various issues relating to violence within the Samson and Maskwachees Communities including gangs and gang activity with the intent of making recommendations and finding resolutions for reducing violence in general and gang activity specifically;
THEREFORE the Samson Safe Community Task Force is hereby charged to perform its duties and functions in accordance with the following Terms of Reference:
1. The Samson Safe Community Task Force is hereby charged to perform regarding identification and analysis of the occurrence of violence in the Samson and Maskwachees Community including:
a) identification of the factors and underlying reasons for high rates of community violence, gangs and gang activity;
b) inventory of current programs and services that address violence in community and any deficiencies and inefficiencies of such programs and services;
c) recommendations to foster cooperation between Maskwachees Cree, various on reserve programs and services, law enforcement and other outside agencies;
d) recommendations with procedures and priorities for implementing strategies to achieve a significant reduction in acts of violence within the Samson community;
e) inform and engage Samson membership in all aspects of review.
2. In the exercise of its mandate, the Samson Safe Community Task Force shall:
a) communicate with and take information from Samson and Maskwachees community members, Samson personnel, departments and community organizations for the purpose of generating recommendations, reform proposals and setting priorities for action;
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b) communicate with and take information from federal and provincial government departments and officials including law enforcement for the purpose of obtaining facts and statistics identification of financial and human resources, generating recommendations and reform proposals;
c) to view Samson Cree Nation as an integral part of the Maskwachees Cree Community and to seek the input, information and recommendation of the Ermineskin, Louis Bull and Montanan Nations to the best extend possible;
d) hold meetings at times and places that it considers desirable and necessary within budget constraints;
e) analyze previous and existing initiatives, programs and services in relation to youth, gang suppression and prevention and community violence prevention and reduction;
f) examine generally, gang history and prevalence in Maskwachees Community and underlying reasons for gang activity within the Samson Cree Nation;
g) identify efficient, effective and financially responsible recommendations and reforms which would improve safety of Samson and Maskwachees community members, reduce violence and gang activity, better reflect the values and inherent strength of the Maskwachees Cree and promote positive inter-community and inter-disciplinary cooperation, leading to reduced violence, reduced offending, reduced victimization and Safe Samson and Maskwachees Communities;
h) determine and provide solutions and recommendations for Samson Townsite through consultation with members residing in or near Townsite;
i) examine Cree cultural issues including the accommodation of Cree language, spirituality, family values, ceremonies and their role within reforms and recommendations.
3. The Samson Safe Community Task Force shall provide their final report to Samson Chief and Council no later than September 1, 2008.
4. The Samson Safe Community Task Force will recommend short and long-term prioritized recommendations and strategies and identify ways to oversee the implementation of these recommendations.