| Grow-op bust draws mixed reactions |
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by Brett Cyr the Carillon Band members comment on bust A recent marijuana grow-operation that was busted on the Pasqua First Nation drew many mixed opinions. On Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005, the RCMP busted the grow-op, charging seven people for growing 7,592 plants at a value of $7.5 million. Haley Cyr, a Pasqua First Nation urban band member, heard from various sources that drug activity existed on the reserve. “I heard rumors of drug activity on Pasqua, but I was not aware of the magnitude of the Agecoutay’s operation,” said Cyr. Reagan Gordon, also a Pasqua band member, wasn’t surprised about the drug bust. “Last year, we had to hire 16 security guards to patrol the Hip Hop festival. We didn’t want drugs there. It’s ironic that we would hold a festival dedicated to educating the youth about the legacy of residential school abuse, and [then] have the largest Saskatchewan drug bust here. It really shows where we’re at,” said Gordon. Gordon believes drugs have been a problem for some time on the reserve. “I remember my oldest sister being asked by a drug dealer at school if she wanted to buy a marijuana joint. She was going to school at Kaniswapit. That was 25 years ago when she was still in elementary school on the reserve,” said Gordon. One urban band member, who wants to remain anonymous, worried about repercussions for voicing opinions. “I’m worried about making comments that will make me enemies. Everybody knew those accused were selling drugs but just not at the scale reported in the news. They were the number one dealers.” Lawrence Agecoutay, one of the co-accused, stated publicly in a letter posted on his website, www.anishinabe.org, that the marijuana was grown for medicinal purposes. “Marijuana is medicine to our people, and is only a crime by the government state of the colony of Canada. We retain the rights to all botanicals, as acknowledged by the permit, born of the Jay Treaty. We retain the right to the terms and conditions to all treaties on our major law-land jurisdiction,” wrote Agecoutay. Elaine Chicoose, Chief of the Pasqua First Nation, responded to the recent drug bust during a press conference held at the Gathering Place in Regina on Weds., Aug. 31. “It is our position that illegal activities involving drugs are causing misery and turmoil among our people. We are aware that these illegal activities are a major cause of social problems and concerns,” said Chicoose. The band said sanctions would be imposed on any band member caught engaging in deviant behavior, so drug culture can be controlled from spreading to the rest of the community. “Sanctions include loss of employment, termination of any benefits provided by the First Nation, eviction from First Nation-owned housing and public housing,” said Chicoose. Because the chief of the Pasqua First Nation went on public record against illegal drugs, Lawrence Joseph, vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), stated his organization’s goal regarding illegal drugs on First Nations. “$7.5 million of marijuana is going to affect your kids, not only the kids of Pasqua. It’s going to affect the whole of Saskatchewan in a negative way, so we want to ask the public to help us,” Joseph said. After the FSIN asked for public assistance, Joseph offered his interpretation of the treaty’s meaning to the public regarding illegal drugs. “The treaties were signed 127-plus years ago. One of the promises First Nations people made was to abide by the laws of the land from time to time. If anybody’s saying they have the right to grow illegal drugs on the reserve, they’re out to lunch.” |