First Nation tackling crime on reserve

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Delores Thunderchild has had a very busy few months. Since being hired on as the crime prevention worker for Thunderchild First Nation back in May, she has been working to help co-ordinate a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the safety and security on reserve.

A new Neighborhood watch program has been started, with a Crime Stoppers program next on the list of programs being organized under the umbrella of the Thunderchild Justice Committee. Also in the works are a student version of Crime Stoppers-Crime Busters -to be set up at the school, and a Crime Watch.

The name of the new Neighborhood Watch program is Mamaowicetowin, a name given it by Elder Allan Snakeskin. The name means "working together" and refers to the way the ancestors lived, applying it to today's world-with neighbors watching out for other neighbors through the Neighborhood Watch program. A contest was held at Piyesiw Awasis school to come up with a logo for the Mamaowicetowin Project, with Grade 6 student Terrance Weekusk winning with his design that features three tipis with eyes on them.

Pamphlets promoting the Mamaowicetowin Project have been created and distributed, and decals have been designed for Neighborhood Watch members to put on their windows.

"And we also made signs, and we've got them posted all over the reserve," Thunderchild said.

Neighborhood watch, along with the other crime prevention programs, was started up in response to a growing crime problem on reserve.

Thunderchild, monthly reports issued by the RCMP detachment in Turtleford show crime had definitely become a problem on the First Nation.

"There was a lot of vandalism going on where kids were breaking into homes, and really smashing them up, and even the new houses that are coming up. And they also were going into these abandoned houses and they've been having parties and smoking up and stuff. And we've had a lot of trouble with marijuana amongst our youth, drugs and alcohol. And we have a lot of assault-domestic assault. And they're always alcohol related," she said.

The RCMP reports haven't been the only indicator that crime had become a problem - community members have also begun to voice their concerns about safety.

"I have informational sessions on Mondays on Neighborhood Watch, and the community members are starting to speak out, saying that they're afraid for their own safety living in the town sites, because kids were hanging around, leaning against their houses, just leaning around, and they hang by bunches."

The solution to the loitering youth? Give them something to do. That's where another new on-reserve initiative comes in.

"We also started a Big Brother/Big Sister club on the reserve, and that's trying to create some role models for the little ones. And what we do is we fundraise, and then we take them out. Last time we took them out to Banff. We took 30, with their Little Brothers and Little Sisters. They went up there for four days," Thunderchild said. "And then we have meetings on what the Big Sisters and Big Brothers would like to see happening and stuff that they'd like to do. And we try to keep them busy."

The Big Brothers/Big Sisters program started up the first week of June, with 30 youth aged 12 and up taking part.

"We use the 12 and up as the Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and then we take 12 and under and we assign them to each youth. And we also have sleepovers. That's where we started our Big Brothers and Big Sisters was our first sleepover. We held that at the community hall, and we had about 56 youth that came, and that's where we drew names with the Big Brothers and Little Sisters and that's how we established it.

"We even had a contest where the Little Sister had to really get to know their Big Sister and tell us something about them, and the same with the big ones. And it worked out really good. And some of the Little Sisters don't have any other siblings, some of them are by themselves. So it's good to see that the oher ones teach them. They talk about their culture and stuff, and to stay in school, and about drugs and alcohol. So it's really working out really good."

Another initiative aimed at the younger members of the community was a cultural camp for high-risk kids held July 29 to Aug. 1. Thunderchild was joined by a number of community Elders at the camp, with 11 youth taking part. Youth taking part in the camp learned about hunting and trapping, how to skin animals and dry the meat. They also were taught about how to find and pick sweetgrass, and about their roles and responsibilities as Aboriginal men and women. The girls in the group also learned how to cut, sew and set up a tent.

"And we also had the students, the youth, we gave them journals. And they wrote in their journals every day, what they thought about the camp and their feelings and their family life and stuff like that. So we were able to view those, and then we were able to talk," Thunderchild said."So we had talking circles on their feelings and stuff, what they wrote in their journals."

The youth are not the only ones seeing a benefit from the new programs, Thunderchild explained. The entire community is noticing an improvement.

"They feel a little bit more secure, where they live. And it brings the people together. Like a long time ago, our ancestors used to work together. And they knew their neighbors and stuff, you know. They used to leave their door unlocked, and they could come in and help themselves if nobody was home. Nowadays, they lock up their doors and there's absolutely no trust, no nothing. So we're trying to gain that back, for the community members to help each other and to really work together in making something work. And it's really coming along," she said.

"And there seems to be a difference in the youth's attitude, once we had the signs and knowing that the Neighborhood Watch has started and seeing the decals on the community members' homes. So they think twice, I think, now."

he effectiveness of the program is also born out in the numbers-there has been a drop in the amount of vandalism occurring on reserve.

While continued funding for all the projects is, as always, an issue, Thunderchild if optimistic about what can be accomplished if the work continues.

"If the Neighborhood Watch continues, I think we would gain back what our ancestors had lived by, that mamaowicetowin, working together and caring for one another, and helping the youth also too. They really looked really highly upon their youth, and I think also with the year, they're going to be able to really learn a lot about their culture and traditional values. And if we keep the programs going, we would deteriorate the crime and also the drugs and alcohol that we're facing on our reserve. And Crime Stoppers, when it comes in, if the students get involved in it, it would be a really good thing for the students to feel that they're doing something to make the community better than what it is now."