By Lloyd Dolha

GangPrairie-based aboriginal gangs have reached crisis proportions in major urban centers, supporting larger and more sophisticated gangs – such as the Hells Angels and Asian gangs – and are spreading out into smaller cities and rural areas, moving on and off impoverished reserves recruiting new members.

In the annual report by the Criminal Intelligence Canada (CISC),
Aboriginal-Based Organized Crime or ABOC has become one of the national agency’s intelligence priorities.

Released on August 22nd, the report states that aboriginal gangs are present in several urban centers across Canada, particularly in Winnipeg, Regina and Edmonton.

These gangs are generally involved in street-level trafficking of marihuana, cocaine, crack cocaine and crystal meth.

They are also involved in prostitution, break and enters, robberies,
assaults, intimidation, tobacco fraud, home invasions, vehicle thefts,
weapons offences illegal gaming and debt collection and enforcement as trench troops for other organized crime groups like the Hells Angels.

KnifeNationally, the primary gangs are the Indian Posse, Redd Alert, Warriors and Native Syndicate, with a number of smaller gangs that frequently form and reform.

The street gang scene in Winnipeg, the birthplace of aboriginal gangs in Canada, is dominated to a large extent by two aboriginal gangs, the Manitoba Warriors and the Indian Posse. A smaller street gang called the Deuce, with connections to the Manitoba Warriors, is a rival gang to the Indian Posse

“In Alberta, aboriginal gangs that once existed primarily in prisons for protection purposes, have now recognized the financial benefit of
trafficking hard drugs, such as cocaine, on the reserves,” states the CISC report.

Many of these gangs have ready access to firearms that has resulted in a number of incidents of violence.

Gang activity on the rise
In April, an Edmonton-based task force identified 12 aboriginal gangs operating in the city, with more than 400 members and almost 2,000 known gang associates. The task force warned that gang activity will increase along with the growing aboriginal population if the social and economic problems faced by urban native youth are not addressed.

The local task force identified gangs operating in the city as Redd Alert, Indian Posse, Alberta Warriors, Saskatchewan Warriors, Manitoba Warriors, Native Syndicate, Crypts, West End Boys, Death Do Us Part, Wolf Pack, Mixed Blood and Deuce.

One day before the release of the CISC report on aboriginal gangs, on August 21st, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), released its own report on aboriginal youth gang violence entitled Alter-Natives to Non-Violence Report: Aboriginal Youth Gangs Exploration, the result of a two-year examination of the conditions underlying the growing gang phenomena within Saskatchewan’s major urban centers and the communities that are most impacted.

According the FSIN report, aboriginal youth in the prairie provinces join gangs for money, power and excitement. They are characterized by feelings of disenfranchisement from the community and family with no attachment to school.

Youth gangs can be identified by the use of colours, various hand signals, caps/hats worn a certain way, pant-leg rolled up, one glove, an untied shoelace or a bandana worn a certain way.

Aboriginal youth are initiated into gangs by the following methods:
committing certain crimes at the behest of the leader; ‘beating in’, in some cases an intense beating can last up to three minutes; prostitution; ‘sexing in’ or ‘banged in’, where young females have sex with several members of the gang; a family connection, children who are raised in families in gangs; and, muscling others or intimidation.

Natives prime recruits
According to the FSIN report, of the 98,000 youth in Saskatchewan between the ages of 12 ­ 17 years, approximately 15,000 are aboriginal youth. Based on known risk factors such as poverty, lack of opportunity for employment, institutional racism and discrimination and a sense of hopelessness and despair, many of these 15,000 aboriginal youth are at-risk of being recruited.

The development of gang culture can be understood through the history of aboriginal people in Canada. A widely known aspect of the destruction of aboriginal culture in the residential school system experience and its subsequent intergenerational effects.

As it is widely known, many of the aboriginal children of the 1950′s and 1960′s suffered extreme physical and sexual abuse. The racism and assimilation efforts of the residential school era has left residual effects on aboriginal youth that provided the underlying social unrest of aboriginal youth leading to gang involvement.

Aboriginal youth gang can be characterized as a ‘spontaneous youth social movement.’

“For an undereducated aboriginal youth disenfranchised from society, there are few options for survival. Sheer survival is a strong motivational factor that leads many youth to gangs,” states the report.

Jail more likely than diploma
In the executive summary, the report notes, “In1992, the Lynn Report stated that, Oit was said that an aboriginal youth had a better chance of going to jail than graduating from Grade 12 ­ this is still true today.”

The report goes on to quote a January 2003 submission to the Commission on First Nations and Metis Peoples Justice Reform that notes Saskatchewan has the highest crime rate in the country. Aboriginal people account for only ten per cent of the population of Regina and Prince Albert combined but accounted for 47 per cent of the victims of crime.

Between 1994 and 2000, aboriginal people accounted for 55 per cent of Saskatchewan’s homicide victims as well as 60 per cent of those accused of committing homicides.

Aboriginal youth accounted for about six in ten youth accused ages 12 to 17 years in the three cities of Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert in 1997.

According to the FSIN, aboriginal youth comprise at least 75 to 90 per cent of youth in open and closed custody facilities. Of the 3,000 youth that are in the criminal justice system on any given day, about 1,800 are aboriginal.

In one passage, the FSIN report graphically demonstrated the danger of gang affiliation for aboriginal youth from a passage of the Western Reporter magazine.

One of the young people on the corner was a 13-year old Joseph Spence, known to his friends as ‘Beeper’. When Johnson asked the group ‘You IP?’ Beeper stepped forward even though he had no gang affiliation.

‘Straight up,’ he bragged. ‘In full effect!’ Johnson jumped up out of his seat and pointed the shotgun at Beeper as a 16 year-old Deuce named Fabian Torres shouted from the back of the van. ‘Bust a cap in his ass!’ As Beeper turned to run, Johnson fired a blast straight into his back. Beeper, who had just completed Grade 7, died in the street where he lay.

The FSIN report hopes to make a compelling case to the federal and provincial government agencies to substantiate the need for enhanced and new resources that can be directed at First Nations to address the gang issue.

Prison mentality on the Rez
A former resident who did not wish to be identified described the gang phenomena as the result of aboriginal inmates who return from jail and bring a ‘prison mentality’ back onto reserves that makes them ‘open air prisons.’

To address the exploding gang phenomena, a number of initiatives have been launched.

In November 2001, Corrections Services Canada (CSC), launched an Aboriginal Gang Initiative (AGI), in Winnipeg. The initiative was the result of former AFN national chief Ovide Mercredi, who examined the issue of aboriginal gangs and recommended 23 strategy options to CSC.

The major thrust of the May 2000 Mecredi Report, was the involvement of the aboriginal community, especially elders, to find solutions for the rise of aboriginal gangs.

The AGI team consists of five aboriginal facilitators guided by aboriginal elders. The team works with those involved in or affected by gangs.

“We’ve come along way in a very short time,” said Darrel Phillips, Project Manager for the AGI. “We’ve established a foundation of trust with gang members themselves and the CSC staff. We’ve also constructed solid bridges of between CSC and the community and we’ve mobilized a wide array of resources.

“We realized early in our work that many aboriginal gang members truly want to change, but they don’t really have the tools or skills to stabilize themselves,” added Phillips. “They’re being pulled in so many directions and very often their belief systems are totally at odds with committing to a crime-free lifestyle.”

Clayton Sandy, Community Relation Manager of AGI, believes that is where the strength of the elders comes into play.

“Because it’s our elders that can help gang members see how their beliefs and values determine the choices they make, which leads them into conflict with law. We help them commit to a spiritual path in life (the ‘Red Road’), and support them in their spiritual journey,” said Sandy.

As of April 2002, within Manitoba, 163 gang members were either incarcerated at the Stoney Mountain Institution, the Rockwood Institution of on conditional release in the community under the Winnipeg Parole office.

Pat Larocque, a lifer, has a great deal of credibility as a member of the AGI team. Larocque works directly with aboriginal gang members in Stoney Mountain and Rockwood.

“I find it’s really making a difference to consistantly interact with the
guys inside. Most of them know my experience with the correctional system and this gives them a lot of hope that positive change is possible. We’re not only trying to get these guys on a spiritual path, we also need to cooperate with CSC staff to help aboriginal gang members prepare for a job when they get out,” said Larocque.

Female gangs of concern
A key area of concern for the future is aboriginal women involved in gangs. The issue will be given greater attention once the AGI is established as an on-going initative.

Recently renamed Bimosewin, Ojibway for ‘walk your path in life in a good way’, the AGI has to date: obtained a written commitment from over 125 gang and ex-gang members to work with Bimosewin ; over 12 aboriginal individuals have been ‘helped out or kept out’ of gangs; secured employment for more than 15 aboriginal gang members; a safe house has been supported and is now available to ex-gang members; and, a core group of ex-gang members is
emerging that Bimosewin can mentor and work with.

CSC is currently evaluating the efficacy of Bimosewin and, with the approval of the executive committee, may be extending Bimosewin’s mandate to other to other provinces in the Prairies over the next five years.

“Many aboriginal gang members respect their elders and their traditional culture,” says Phillips. “This is a window of opportunity for us to help them find a new indentity rooted in their own culture. We believe this leads to aboriginal gang members making more positive lifestyle choices.”

Support programs
In Saskatchewan, Bimosewin has extended an offer to the FSIN to participate in their gang initiative committee. The FSIN has established a Youth Gang Awareness Cultural Camp for aboriginal youth 11­18 years in collaboration with the White Buffalo Youth Centre located in Saskatoon.

The camp provides healthy alternatives for aboriginal youth and
opportunities to interact with role models and elders, working towards dispelling the glamourization often associated with gang membership.

The FSIN is developing a three to five year strategic plan to address the complex issues underlying the development of gang culture and a provincial policy that focuses on the root social problems experienced by aboriginal youth who join gangs.

In Edmonton, the Spirit Keeper Youth Society (SKYS), an aboriginal non-profit society was recently formed in June to address the escalation and growth of aboriginal gangs in the city. The board of directors consists of a ‘hands on daily’ group of aboriginal professionals each with their own area of expertise in business, program development and crime prevention.

Spirit Keeper is currently working to establish a crisis line for aboriginal youth and a transition house for 18-25 yr. olds involved in gangs. Spirit Keeper also wants to establish a Learning Centre for pre- and early teenage aboriginal youth as an intervention and prevention measure against future gang recruitment.

They will also be developing an extensive aftercare and
follow-up program of both formal and informal support.

Len Untereiner, president of Spirit Keeper, said the society is currently facing some funding difficulties but is trying to secure a safe house for aboriginal youth seeking to escape the city¹s gang culture.

“We’re dealing with about 60 kids on a regular basis on the street level that want to get out of gangs and we have a deal going to have a safe house in the next few weeks to accommodate some of them.”

By Lloyd Dolha

BC First Nations leaders are calling for an independent inquiry into the death of Frank Paul, a Mi’mak from Big Cove, N.B., who died from exposure more than four years ago after Vancouver Police dumped him in an alley, drunk and soaking wet on the rainy night of December 6, 1998, in near-zero temperatures.

Concerns were raised after the release of a jailhouse video on June 25, which showed a drunken Paul, on hands and knees, passed out on the floor near the police station elevator. He was dragged into the elevator by two police officers and died hours later from hypothermia.

BC Police Complaint Commissioner Kirk Ryneveld has reopened the case and released the tape to Victoria lawyer Steve Kelliher, who is acting on behalf of the Paul family.

Kelliher said the officers involved told internal investigators that they released Paul because, although he was drunk, they believed that he could take care of himself.

Following the internal investigation, the two officers involved were given a one and two day suspension. There was no public inquiry or coroner’s inquest into the death of the 47-year-old Mi’mak man.

New evidence reopens case
Ryneveld said that he was convinced to reopen the case by recently revealed information that caused concern regarding the methods in which the investigation was handled.

“The family deserves to know the facts concerning Mr. Paul’s death, in light of conflicting reports his family received regarding the circumstances of his death,” said Ryneveld.

A jailhouse guard, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he believes that a report he wrote about the Paul incident never reached the proper authorities.

The guard said that he helped lift Paul into the police wagon, on the understanding that police would drive him home.

Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, has written to BC Attorney-General Geoff Plant, formally requesting a public inquiry into the death of Frank Paul.

By Lloyd Dolha

As part of the “aggressive policy changes” recently announced by BC Forests Minister Mike de jong, the Lheidli Tenneh and the Saik’uz First Nations were awarded forest licenses for 600,000 cubic metres of timber on March 3, 2003.

“As committed in the throne speech, our government is working to create new opportunities for First Nations that wish to help revitalize the forest industry,” said de jong. “Partnerships with First Nations will help bring certainty to the land base, which helps generate more opportunities and investment.”

Under the interim measures agreement, the Lhiedli Tenneh First Nation of Prince George will receive a forest license for 150,000 cubic metres of timber over three years with the possibility of being extended for an additional two years. The agreement also allows the minister to award a community forest pilot agreement once Canada, BC and the Lhiedli Tenneh reach and approve an agreement-in-principle under the BC treaty process.

“The timber from this non-replaceable license will supply much needed fibre for our value-added facility and will bring economic benefits to our people and community,” said Lhiedli Tenneh chief Barrie Seymour. “We’re working towards becoming full participants in BC’s forest economy and sharing in the province’s resources and wealth.”

In a separate agreement, the Saik’uz First Nation will receive a non-replaceable forest license for 450,000 cubic metres of timber over three years with the possibility of being extended two more years.

“This agreement will stimulate our economy by creating small business opportunities for our members, generating revenues for future business development and furthering educational and social development initiatives for the betterment of our people,” said Chief Allison Johnny of the Saik’uz First Nation. “We’re encouraged that cooperation with government and industry will result in further accords that will bring true equality to our people.”

Both forest licenses are for beetle-killed timber in the Prince George timber supply area. In May 2002, the chief forester increased the allowable annual cut by 2.9 million cubic metres to address the mountain pine beetle infestation.

The Lhiedli Tenneh and the Saikuz First Nations must submit detailed business plans outlining how the forest licenses will be managed, including meeting silvaculture and reforestation obligations.

By Lloyd Dolha

A major hurtle for the advancement of the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline was cleared with the signing of a milestone agreement on June 19 between the Inuvik-based Aboriginal Pipeline Group, and TransCanada Corp., giving the aboriginal groups of the Northwest Territories one-third ownership of the $3.5 billion Artic pipeline project.

Under the terms of the long-awaited agreement, Trans Canada Corp. will lend the pipeline group $80 million for preliminary work in the project definition phase. APG can use the money to pay for its share of a feasibility study or to support project financing of its share of construction costs.

The loan guarantees the APG status as a fully-fledged partner in the joint venture to extract six trillion cubic feet of natural gas from three northern fields.

In return for financing APG, TransCanada will receive a five per cent interest in the venture. That interest will come from the four members of the Producer’s Group: Imperial Oil, Shell Canada, Exxon Mobile Canada Ltd. and Conoco Phillips Canada.

TransCanada, the largest pipeline company in Canada, will have the right to raise its stake by buying up to half of whatever portion may be placed for sale by the Producer’s Group.

In addition, the pipeline company has agreed to pursue its extension of its Alberta pipeline system to connect with a Mackenzie Valley pipeline just south of the Alberta-Northwest Territories border.

More than 2,000 jobs
The Mackenzie Valley pipeline will run 1,300 kilometres from the NWT to northeastern Alberta. During the peak of construction, an estimated 2,600 jobs will be created. Offices have been opened in the NWT, to provide local residents with information on potential job opportunities with an emphasis on proper training for northern aboriginals to work on the massive energy project.

Members of the APG include groups from the Gwichin, Inuvialuit, Deh Cho, Sahtu, Akaitcho, Dogrib, Salt River, and the north and south Slave Metis Alliances.

APG chairman Fred Carmichael said that economic self-sufficiency is more realistic for northern aboriginals.

“It’s a bright future for the Northwest Territories. It’s a great future for our children,” said Carmichael.

The $80 million is also intended to enable the APG to go to bankers and other lenders to raise enough money to pay for their share of a “base level” pipeline.

The project still faces numerous boards and review panels with jurisdiction in the north before any construction begins and the energy producers must also vote on final approval.
If approved by regulators, the Mackenzie Valley pipeline project will be the largest energy venture in Canada since the mid-nineties.

Attention will now focus on revenue-sharing and land claims with aboriginal groups and the government of the Northwest Territories.

By Lloyd Dolha

Liberal MPs are up in arms about the agreement reached between the federal government and the radical Cheam Indian band. MPs charge it sets a dangerous precedent by agreeing to limit the Department of Fisheries and Oceans enforcement powers on the Fraser River First Nations’ reserve land.

The militant Cheam Indian band, widely known for its violent clashes between DFO enforcement officials and band members dressed in paramilitary garb, signed an agreement on June 17, which requires DFO enforcement officers to announce in advance when they will come onto reserve land to check for illegal fishing activities.

The Cheam reached the agreement despite the fact that they do not recognize the authority of DFO to regulate the Fraser River salmon fishery

Toronto MP Tom Wappel, chairman of the federal fisheries committee, said that the agreement is ludicrous even if it reduces tensions between DFO officials and Cheam band members.

“How are you going to enforce an act if you have to announce your presence before you enforce it?” asked Wappel.

Liberal MP Joe Peschisolido called on federal Fisheries Minister Robert Thibault to tear up the deal.

“In effect what they’ve done is abdicate their responsibilities in overseeing and regulating the fisheries … and it sets an awful precedent. What it says is, if you intimidate and act poorly, we’ll concede,” said Peschisolido.

Wappel said that the deal should be scrapped if there is any evidence that the deal was motivated by fear.

“If they (Cheam band members) are attempting to intimidate peace officers of the government of Canada, we cannot succumb to intimidation.”

Safety for both sides
Senior DFO official Colin Masson, who negotiated the agreement, said the deal was reached to reduce confrontations and to ensure the safety of DFO personnel. He said the agreement was reached because the Cheam “threatened a whole series of direct action” and “the situation was escalating very rapidly to a high-level conflict situation.”

Sidney Douglas, the head councilor of the Cheam band, who signed the agreement, said that the agreement is reasonable and was reached to ensure the safety of band members threatened by “aggressive” fisheries officers.

Under the terms of the agreement, any points of dispute will be referred to a “Salmon Table” controlled by a DFO designate and Cheam councilor Sidney Douglas.

The major points of the agreement state:
· If for any reason it is necessary for DFO officers to cross Cheam reserve land, they will seek advice and accommodating support from Head Councilor Sidney Douglas (or his designate) of their intentions.
· At Cheam fishing sites in the canyon, the Cheam Indian band will notify the DFO designate of the dates and times and locations that will be fished.
· In the event that fish, nets or other fishing gear is seized, DFO will notify Head Councilor Sidney Douglas and/or the band office in a timely manner.

Fishnets and fishing gear seized under the Fisheries Act is to be held by DFO until the disposition of the seized fishing nets and fishing gear is discussed at the Salmon Table.

· Any water-based enforcement operations will be carried out by one boat with no more than three or four DFO fisheries officers on board … all land based operations will be carried out with no more than two fisheries officers per vehicle, to a maximum of two vehicles.
· If Douglas and the DFO designate at the Salmon Table and cannot reach an agreement, an impartial facilitator will be appointed.

Canadian Alliance MP John Cummins said that the agreement makes a mockery of fisheries conservation and sends a message to other bands across Canada that they can win major concessions by wearing military garb and intimidating DFO enforcement officers.

“If they’re prepared to sign off an agreement to restrict their authority in this way, enforcement of fisheries regulations is going to be impossible.”

By Lloyd Dolha

Former AFN national chief Phil Fontaine regained his leadership of Canada’s foremost aboriginal organization on Wednesday, July 16, ending three years of confrontation with the federal government under the reign of Matthew Coon Come.

Fontaine, who lost to Coon Come three years ago, won in a run-off against Six Nations Chief Roberta Jamieson, the first aboriginal woman to offer a serious candidacy for the top post of the AFN.

Coon Come was forced to drop out after the first ballot at the AFN’s convention in Edmonton after receiving a humiliating 18.5 per cent of the vote and threw his support behind Chief Jamieson.

Fontaine won the leadership on the second ballot with 60.9 per cent of the 557 attending chiefs support, compared to Jamieson’s 39.1 per cent support of the voting chiefs.

The winner is required to obtain 60 per cent of the voting chiefs to represent the interests of Canada’s 633 First Nations both domestically and internationally.

Chief Jamieson was the first to address the 1500 delegates, thanking her supporters and conceding defeat.

“Your choice today is very clear and it was for a different vision and a different direction than the one I offered,” said Jamieson.

Fontaine was the clear frontrunner, obtaining 51.6 per cent of the vote on the first ballot.

A new direction
All three of the candidates spoke out against the INAC-driven First Nations Governance Act (FNGA), and aboriginal organizations across the nation have denounced the proposed changes to the archaic Indian Act as lacking adequate consultation, and an infringement on their constitutionally protected rights.

Stressing his diplomatic skills, Fontaine said he looks forward to working with the new prime Minister, widely expected to be former Finance Minister Paul Martin in the November leadership race, but warned that Ottawa should no longer expect to make decisions without First Nations at the negotiating table.

“To the governments of Canada I say to you, sometimes we will be at each others throats, sometimes we will be pulling in the same direction, but we will always be there. I say to the governments of Canada we’re back,” said Fontaine.

Martin has said that he will not implement the controversial FNGA legislation without further consultation with First Nations.

In a statement released the following day, Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, offered his congratulations to Fontaine, noting that the chiefs of Canada have “made a clear choice for a new direction.”

“I look forward to working with the National Chief Fontaine, the AFN executive and all AFN leaders to improve the quality of life for First Nations,” said the minister in a prepared statement.