STONEY NAKODA FIRST NATION— A group of concerned mothers are joining forces to shine a light on the addictions crisis faced by Stoney Nakoda First Nation youth.
Eve Powder said she was inspired to launch an Addictions Awareness Walk after her 29-year-old daughter Christa-Lee Powder died of an overdose in December 2017.
The Addictions Awareness Walk takes place on Saturday (Sept. 26) at 10 a.m. beginning at the Chiniki gas station parking lot with a prayer from an elder and will then work its way down to the Stoney Tribal Administration building parking lot. The day will conclude with a time for people to talk and share their experiences.
Her daughter was a force of nature, Powder said, and her presence is deeply missed by family members.
At one time Christa-Lee was on her way to being a powerhouse in the hockey scene, Powder said. In 1999, she began playing with the Stoney Nakoda Snow Angels hockey team as the goalie and was on her way to securing a scholarship for her post-secondary education.
"She was an awesome goalie,” Powder said.
Things changed though when Powder began getting into drugs in 2012.
“She really left the home and she basically went out to Calgary and started doing all the street drugs,” Powder said. “I tried to help her and her sisters, siblings everybody tried to help her, but she would only last a few hours and next thing you know she was gone.”
It was hard losing her daughter, Powder said, and Christa-Lee’s death has left a scar on the family.
Powder said she is frustrated because since her daughter’s death the Nation has continued to lose youth to drug overdoses in the community.
Powder recently had a niece pass away from a drug overdose in early September. To her knowledge, there have been at least six other people who have died from overdoses this year.
“All these younger people … They're all just losing themselves into this drug,” Powder said. “It’s hard— We need our younger generations around.”
The momentum for the 2020 Addictions Awareness walk began to grow after a Facebook post from Summer Twoyoungmen.
In the post, Twoyoungmen detailed rumours that methamphetamine has been mixed with other drugs, including fentanyl, resulting in the death of band members.
The post implores Stoney Nakoda First Nation chiefs and councils to take steps to end the selling of drugs on the Nation to keep members safe. Twoyoungmen described the challenge faced in the community as an epidemic that has been made worse because leadership is turning a blind eye.
“A lot of stuff that I said in the post is what a lot of people have been thinking,” Twoyoungmen said. “The providers need to be cleared out and take their drugs with them. Our people are dying, our young ones are at a high risk of becoming another drug addict. This isn’t the future our ancestors hoped for us.”
The Addictions Awareness Walk will serve as an opportunity to put their feet down and let the chief and council know there are people who care and want to do something about the drug crisis facing youth in the community
“This is killing everybody,” Powder said.
Removing drugs and dealers from the community paired with having a place to help those looking to pursue recovery are essential steps to begin the healing process, Powder said. She added they hope to see a treatment centre put in place or a sober living area for those who return from treatment.
“They need to be able to come home to the place where they can go and they can continue their sobriety," Twoyoungmen said.
One of the struggles they have faced in encouraging people to come forward to talk about the issue, Powder said, is there is a fear they may face reprisal or judgment if they speak up— Especially when it comes to naming dealers on the reserve.
“A lot of people out here are scared to come forward. But I don’t think they should be scared,” Powder said. “It would be a good step to move forward and that's what they have to realize.”
Twoyoungmen added, she is worried if action is not taken soon, more lives will be lost.
There is momentum building because people are getting frustrated with the lack of action, Twoyoungmen said, and she hopes this will translate into steps being taken before the situation gets worse.
The reality becomes more difficult each day, Powders said, because the Nation is losing elders and the younger generation. They are worried this could result in traditions and culture being lost.
“We need chief and council to step up and do something,” Twoyoungmen said. “Our people need help— Our people are dying, our young ones are dying. This needs to stop now.”
