First Nations community declares state of emergency
Eleven deaths at reserve near Port Hardy believed to be tied to substance abuse
The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations have declared a state of emergency for their reserve north of Port Hardy following the deaths of 11 of its members in the past two months. Many of those deaths were caused by poisoned drugs and alcohol, the nation said.
Issued on the direction of hereditary chiefs and matriarchs, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations council said it will take “all necessary measures” to protect its members and to remove drug dealers and alcohol suppliers from Tsulquate 4 reserve. “The loss of so many precious lives in such a short time have caused massive suffering, grief and trauma.”
Colleen Hemphill, chief treaty negotiator for the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw for 27 years, said six deaths happened within a span of 10 days. “As you can imagine, it's pretty devastating.”
The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations have about 1,100 members.
It is custom for up to 200 people to gather for comfort services where they can bring food and grieve with the affected family after a person's death, Hemphill said.
“People do their best to respond and try to help each other.”
But it's been happening far too often, she said.
The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations called on the RCMP to commit to enforcing the community's bylaws to help protect youth from drugs and alcohol. Many of those who died were in their 20s.
“In recent years there has been a dramatic and disturbing increase in people supplying drugs and alcohol to GNN youth and members,” it said. “The RCMP have been reluctant to work with GNN in enforcing GNN bylaws and council resolutions to restrict or remove drug deals to try and prevent dealers from bringing deadly drugs into the community.”
RCMP Cpl. Alex Bérubé said that additional resources are being deployed, including officers from B.C. highway patrol and the Indigenous police service.
“The RCMP recognizes the profound impact that the loss of so many people can have. As we work and live in the area, we have also been deeply affected,” he said in a statement.
Bérubé said the RCMP will continue to work with communities to “determine the role” of RCMP in enforcing bylaws and band council resolutions, but did not respond when asked to clarify whether RCMP currently enforce Gwas'sa-la-'Nakwaxda bylaws.
Maxwa Paddy Walkus, a hereditary chief and elected councillor, said that police are refusing to enforce a bylaw that aims to ban drug dealers from Tsulquate.
“Three or four are still on reserve and still pushing drugs on young people. We'd like to have some mechanism, some resource to try and combat that.”
The community had previously spent two to three decades successfully reducing alcoholism in the community, but drug use and substance-related deaths have been on the rise, he said.
“Drugs — it's taken more of our people than alcohol.”
Hemphill was in Ottawa last week with a Gwa'sala-'Nakwax-da'xw delegation and said she spoke to Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree and his staff about the crisis in Tsulquate.
“They listened very, very carefully to what we had to say and they seemed committed to help.”
Health directors from the Gwa'sala `Nakwaxda'xw, and nearby Kwakiutl and Quatsino First Nations issued a joint statement Friday asking for Island Health to fund on-call community outreach workers in each community for the next 30 days to address the unfolding mental health crisis within their communities.
The three North Island nations have requested a tri-nation co-ordinator role to oversee the crisis response and provide preventive programs for community members.
Walkus said that having dedicated on-call support is critical, as well as more supports for those wanting to get out of addiction.
His daughter, who struggled with alcohol use, had recently wanted to go to a dry-out centre, but was told the wait was between six weeks and six months, he said.
She was among the recent deaths in Tsulquate.
“I've been in a dark place since,” Walkus said.
“There's no words to describe that emotion.”