In the aftermath of a fatal drug overdose within Gitxsan Territory, community members of the Hazelton’s and surrounding areas are rallying tonight, Wednesday, August 13th, to say enough is enough. Speaking with CFNR this afternoon, event organizer Dennette Green explained the passion behind the event, and the call to action participants have.
“We just want to bring awareness to our community, and to those dealers… that we know you’re there.” – Dennette Green, organizer of New Hazelton ‘Take Back the Night’ rally
Inspired by the evictions and banishments on Haida Gwaii in the aftermath of Luke Pearson’s death, supporters of the New Hazelton ‘Take back the Night’ rally want to see immediate action taken to remove drugs, and drug dealers, from Gitxsan Territory.
Supporters of the cause will be gathering at the Gitanmaax Health and Wellness Centre in New Hazelton at 7:00pm, after which a procession of drummers, flanked by members of the Gitxsan security team and with a local RCMP escort, will march though the community streets on-reserve to the location of Tuesday’s overdose death. From there, they’ll continue on to the address of someone organizers have alleged is a known drug dealer in town.
The New Hazelton RCMP could not comment on the drug trafficking allegations made, but they will be in attendance to provide an escort during the rally.
Dennette Green says she was a lifelong friend of the man who lost his life to a fatal overdose this week, and noted his death was the latest of many that have collectively taken a heavy toll on the Gitxsan people. That sentiment was echoed by Gitxsan Hereditary Chief Luutkudziiwus (Gordon Sebastian), who noted the extreme weight of the deaths on Gitxsan communities; emotionally, socially, and financially.
‘Last year we were into 5 or 6 deaths per week, and following that we’d have at least 3 or 4 feasts connected to these deaths.’ – Luutkudziiwus (Gordon Sebastian), Gitxsan Hereditary Chief
When commenting on the possibility of banishing known drug dealers from Gitxsan communities, something that was floated by rally organizers, Luutkudziiwus warned against turning Gitxsan members into scapegoats.
‘We can’t make one of our own people a scapegoat… like the drug dealer, like the person that died, like the families who let these people into their homes, we can’t make them the scapegoat. Instead we have to work together and see what we can come up with… because we haven’t done that yet’ – Luutkudziiwus (Gordon Sebastian), Gitxsan Hereditary Chief
Luutkudziiwus also spoke at length about the history of suffering in Gitxsan communities, and how a profound lack of resources and opportunities on-reserve lends itself to an environment where drug use and addiction becomes way of life. He says breaking that cycle requires systematic change from the highest levels of government, and called on the Federal government in Ottawa to make more meaningful funding available for First Nations to tackle the substance use crisis, and for the BC Government to reconsider it’s approach to foster care.
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