FSIN takes proactive approach to youth gangs

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With the presence of Aboriginal youth gangs on the rise in some of Canada's urban centres, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) has decided to take a look at what the situation is here in Saskatchewan.

Through the Alter-Natives to Non-Violence project, launched late last month, the FSIN plans to develop a strategy for dealing with the problem of Aboriginal youth gangs, to get a commitment from stakeholders that they will work to implement the strategy, and to work to encourage the youth themselves to consider alternatives to gang involvement.

But FSIN Vice-chief Lawrence Joseph doesn't want to leave the impression that the launch of the program means Saskatchewan has a serious problem with Aboriginal youth gangs.

"We don't really want to raise alarms. We don't want to make any blatant statements that it's a serious issue. What we call this is it's an emerging problem. It's there, we know, but the project Alter-Natives to Non-violence is basically designed to go out and find out exactly an answer to that question-how bad is it? How serious it is, should there be concern?" he said.

"The initial phase will be collecting information as to who and what and where and how many. Just identifying the enemy, if we can call it that. How big is the enemy, and put together a strategy to combat, proactively, this issue. As I mentioned, one is to educate and 'gang-proof' our youngsters. But also to bring about awareness in the community at large that this is an issue that every citizen should be aware of. And certainly to reach out to those youngsters who are already in the system that there is an alternative, that there is a safe place that they can go to if indeed they are trapped in the system."

But the Vice-chief stressed that, while Alter-Natives to Non-Violence is aimed at tackling the issue of youth gangs, the FSIN is definitely not planning to take on the gangs themselves.

"We are not in this project to be gang busters. I want to say that very clearly, and loudly. Because I think a lot of the times when you talk to young people, or anybody who's in a gang, they're pretty much stuck there. They have no way of getting out without serious repercussions from their colleagues, their comrades. So we're very careful to say we're not out there to be gangbusters. But once we collect the data as to how serious this emerging problem is, then we can put together a strategy to address it," he said.

To gather information from the public, a series of community sessions are being planned, giving people an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences in a confidential and safe way. One such dialogue has already been held in Saskatoon, with additional sessions planned in Prince Albert, North Battleford, Yorkton and Fort Qu'Appelle.

"Police agencies are very much welcoming this initiative, and certainly I think once we get right into this thing, we will have people coming up out of the woodwork to talk to us. I know I've had several calls from concerned parents, and people at large wanting to provide information. It's an initiative that has been well received."

As part of the Alter-Natives project, a youth cultural gathering was also held near North Battleford from Aug. 25 to 28, designed both to help gang-proof youth, and to raise awareness of the problem of Aboriginal youth gangs in the province. Those attending the gathering took part in traditional ceremonies and games, talking circles and workshops, and had the opportunity to speak with Elders, and enjoy traditional music and entertainment.

While work on the Alter-Natives initiative has just begun, already there has been a lot of public support for the project.

"We are getting a lot of accolades, because we are bringing the issues that are there with the society at large, and we can't be in denial that there is problems there. Youth gangs are only one of the things we're working on, and certainly it's a concerted effort from all segments of sociey to not only walk with us, but actually help us find resources to do this work. It's essential work, it's life saving work and rather than trying to repair adults, we're trying to build young people to be good, solid citizens," Joseph said.