Students from Cote and Keeseekoose First Nations, their teachers and community members were joined last week by representatives of the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) at the first Endurance Walk to fight against alcohol and drug abuse.
The walk of about five miles was held May 16 on Highway No. 8, starting from Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex to the Kamsack Petro-Canada, where participants enjoyed a barbecue and soft drinks sponsored by Cote Preventative Services.
The students from Cote and Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre were also joined by members of the Kamsack RCMP, Duck Mountain Ambulance Care, representatives of Indian Child and Family Services of Yorkton and staff of the Saulteaux Health and Wellness Centre, said Alvin Severight, an organizer of the event which he plans to conduct annually.
Among the participants was Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Senator Ted Quewezance of Keeseekoose who is the chair of the Saulteaux Health and Wellness Treatment Centre which is a 19-bed facility that will be celebrating its grand opening in mid-June.
The new treatment centre will be offering a six-week program, Quewezance said following the walk.
The purpose of this walk is educational, he said. “We want to raise awareness of the effects of abusing prescription drugs as well as drugs obtained off the street and the affects they have on individuals, families and communities.
“This is an issue of engagement and inclusion of youth who are our future,” he said, pointing to signs carried by the students which said “Hugs rather than drugs.”
Commending Rob Ritchie and staff and Petro-Canada for having provided the facility for the barbecue, including the tent and picnic tables, Quewezance said that the message is that citizens have the responsibility and if they see drugs being passed out or used in public, they have the obligation to report those incidents. Not doing so means one is not being a good citizen.
Drug and alcohol abuse affects everyone in the community, not just First Nations people, he said, adding that an objective of his is to develop a good relationship with representatives of Sunrise Health Region and its medical staff which might go a long way towards stopping finger pointing.
“We’ve talked about the problem for so long, it’s now time to talk about the solutions.”
Quewezance said that among his ideas for good inter-community relationships would be to have a day set aside for reconciliation.
“We would define reconciliation and discuss it,” he said. “There can be no reconciliation if we don’t reach out to one another.”
