Alberta's First Nation residents promote a dry community fighting drugs and alcohol abuse

Residents of Kiehewin First Nation, northeast of Edmonton, are gathering to save the community from addiction.

After attending too many funerals for young people, they are taking action to fight drugs and alcohol.

“It's a real pandemic here,” Kokum Kathleen Dion said.

“We're just losing too many young lives. One after the other.”

The 53-year-old knows the pain personally. Her son Bradley Whitstone fought addiction for years.

“He tried (crystal) female for the first time. He kept us for three days. He was just young, what was he?” she recalled.

Dion believes that his son has spiralled after his father's death in 2022.

“It's a very cheap, dirty medicine and it's very accessible. They're all aiming for that,” explained Dion's partner Nick Daigle.

They say that Bradley will tell his family he's not using it, but they knew that it wasn't.

“The dark circles around his eyes, his face was swollen. It wasn't him. I knew he was sick, but he is such a stubborn child,” Dion said.

“You can't force someone to stop what you're into. It must be their choice. No matter how much pressure you put on your son, it was still the same.”

Drug abuse ruined his young body.

“Methods damaged his liver and kidneys so badly that doctors told him he needed to go dialysis,” Daigle said.

“It makes you aggressive, angry, hateful.

After 10 years of substance abuse in May, the 26-year-old passed away, leaving behind a four-year-old daughter.

“I wish I could change the day, but I can't,” Dion said in tears.

“It's always heading towards a night when she's crying for her dad.”

Prosecutors recently confirmed that his mother already knows in her heart. Her son died of an overdose of methamphetamine.

“That drug is a demon… I hate it. That's all I can say, I hate it.”

Dion is currently one of several residents of Kiehe Winkle Nation and is currently seeking change. It has 1,400 members.

“We have to stop normalizing alcoholism and drug use. It has been overlooked for a long time,” explained the mothers of the four Mount Brittany.

“When kids are outside, that's my own concern because we have known drug users who are just walking in the garden. Drunk people sometimes walk on the road, screaming at the kids, and screaming garbage into our garden.”

She gathered other mothers and neighbors in action.

“We hear people talk about things they want to make changes in the reserves, and no one does anything about it.

“Our elders and our children deserve to have a safe space to enjoy.”

She contacted band councillor Tyler Youngchaif. Tyler Youngchaif recently ran towards his seat on the platform fighting drug use at Kiehewin.

It's an area where he is particularly passionate after Nie's Riley Youngchaif died at the age of 35. Tyler says she was killed in a material fuel attack.

After talking with the RCMP about what it takes to be arrested, he stabs Kiehewin's step-law outlaw.

Councillors shared it with Mountain and her new Illegal Drugs and Alcohol Commission.

“I pushed them and told them I would support them. I'm trying to move forward with something, so it's good to see it coming from the people of the country,” Youngchaif said.

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An amended version of his bylaws was agreed to the principles by the Chief and Council.

“The bylaws basically say we are a dry reserve. No drugs or alcohol are allowed inside the reserve,” Mountain said.

It also has serious consequences for selling and abuse of drugs and alcohol, stripping residents of housing privileges, community services and other resources.

“If you're dealing with drug dealers, you shouldn't be able to maintain your home,” Young Chaif ​​said.

“It's not about punishing them. It's about pushing them to get out of it, change and see the harm they're doing to our own band members.”

Youngchief is located about 25 km south of Bonnyville, and expects bylaws to make drugs and alcohol more accessible.

“No matter what kind of drugs or addiction there will always be a way to supply it. That is the unfortunate end of addiction. But if we can limit community interactions, we can help people get through it.”

Brittany Wright is another committee member. She spoke to Global News after attending another young man's funeral.

Her motivation was simple. “We're tired of seeing all the losses people are hurting and all the losses we're going through,” she said. “We're taking this seriously right now.”

“We want to protect future generations, young people, children and elders.”

She said their group is ready to lead by example and crack down on the worst criminals.

“We have a list of all the names. So as soon as the legal review team reviews this bylaw, we take some action on it.”

If that process continues, it is unclear exactly when the ordinance will take effect.

But for Dion and other grieving mothers, it cannot happen immediately. They don't want to endure what other families already have.

“I was able to bring (the son) back to (the son) for a moment and tell him how much I love him.”

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