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With graduation ceremonies beginning today, the community of Black Lake in Saskatchewan is issuing a warning to bootleggers.
“Drug dealers and bootleggers be on notice. We have zero tolerance and we will do what we can in partnership with the RCMP to eradicate this in our Dene Nation,” said Black Lake Chief Coreen Sayazie.
Community watch security has been beefed up, reads a press statement, and RCMP are patrolling and protecting the community from any drug and alcohol related violence and disturbances.
The community has battled bootlegging and drug dealing in its territory for many years, reads the statement, and three interceptions have been made in the past week alone.
“When one bootlegger gets caught, another 10 more get by,” Chief Sayazie said.
“Our First Nations have been impacted by the consequential harms of residential schools and colonization. Drugs and alcohol are a major contributor to the harmful and unlawful incidents and activities that take place and further damage and irreparably harm women and girls, children and families. We all have to be a part of protecting our Nations,” says Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron.
“We need to do all we can to ensure the safety of communities and on grad night we want all our graduates to get home safe,” Cameron continued.