Bylaw to evict considered as means to control violence

A bylaw aimed at “taking back our community” by either getting help for or getting rid of troubled residents is in the hands of the members of the Samson Cree First Nation.

 “We have to take over our community…. It should be safe for anybody anywhere in this community to where it once was with our grandparents,” said Councillor Kirk Buffalo.

Chief and council have drafted an eviction bylaw, similar to those that exist in neighbouring Enoch Cree Nation and in Saskatchewan’s Onion Lake First Nation, but tailored to the needs of the Samson Cree. The bylaw is the result of two shooting deaths in a two month period. Ethan Yellowbird, 5, was shot in the head in the early morning hours of July 11 while in his bed. His aunt, Chelsea Yellowbird, 23, was shot on Sept. 5, standing outside a house next door to Ethan’s. She later died in hospital.

No arrests have been made and there are no persons-of-interest identified, said Sgt. Patrick Webb, media relations officer for the RCMP, nor has a connection been drawn between the victims and their relationship with Chief Marvin Yellowbird. The shootings have not been linked either. There is an increased number of RCMP from the Major Crimes Unit still on the First Nation continuing with the investigations as well as extra uniformed members providing increased patrols, particularly in the evening and on weekends.

“We believe there are people that are aware of information that would help us solve this but at the same time they’re not coming forward. They’re making a choice between a safe and secure community and one that has too much criminal activity,” said Webb.

Also making a choice, said Buffalo, are those people in the community who are hurting and not participating in daily or weekly smudging, sweatlodge, prayers, and any number of ceremonies that are available.

 “We want to remove these people from the community … hopefully to a residential treatment centre or to an agency that can deal with their issues,” he said.

Buffalo is adamant that gang-related activities and drug and alcohol abuse are the symptoms of systemic issues.
“A lot of these kids are disconnected to their language, their culture, their spirituality, they don’t understand the ceremonies,” he said. “It all goes back to the home fires.”

Buffalo said residential schools have had a direct impact on the younger generation. Grandparents and parents never learned to show love to their children.

“We need to get the message to people that they need to respect themselves, respect their homes, respect their families,” said Buffalo.

Details of the eviction bylaw, including the penalties, are still being ironed out, with feedback from membership being solicited. Buffalo is hopeful that chief and council will be able to move forward on the implementation of the bylaw in a month or so.

Webb said the RCMP has been advising chief and council on the eviction bylaw.

“There’s a lot of legal work and there’s a lot of details that have to be ironed out before you can say it’s going to be easy or hard (to enforce),” said Webb.

Once the bylaw is passed by the band it needs to go to Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada for approval.
Other actions are already underway in the community including an RCMP member at the school, cleaning up over-grown fields, knocking down some abandoned houses, more regular meetings with Safe Communities team, and improving lighting. Under consideration are the installation of cameras and the implementation of a 10 p.m. curfew for youth.