Minister Ralph Goodale meeting with Red Earth band council and three former chiefs on Ottawa on Tuesday. Photo courtesy Facebook, Darren Alvina Head.
Red Earth Cree Nation’s chief has returned home from Ottawa feeling optimistic about meetings he had with Minister Ralph Goodale this week.
Chief Ian Mckay, along with band council and three former chiefs, met with federal officials to discuss some of the reserve’s major concerns.
The most immediate concern relates to ongoing seasonal flooding, and Chief Ian Mckay said current water levels indicate there will be “imminent flooding” in spring of 2017.
Surface swelling puts homes at risk of flooding and oversaturates Red Earth’s land base, he said, adding that while it’s not a dangerous situation “there is the real inconvenience of forced evacuation” which can be distressful to those with mobility issues.
Mckay says they have a short window before the spring thaw, and that’s why they’re seeking meetings with the government to talk about preventative measures they can take.
“The existing support systems that are in place are more designed to respond and recover from the event itself,” he said.
“We would welcome any additional resources that could be provided to our First Nation directly but always mindful that without limited capacity we need to work with others: provincial and federal ministries and agencies.”
Another big concern for Red Earth is drug and alcohol use.
Mckay and his delegation made a presentation to Goodale on justice initiatives the reserve is looking at.
This comes a year after the band made a resolution to declare the reserve land dry and drug free.
“We realize that those two laws cannot exist in isolation. They need supporting systems and structures to make them effective,” he said.
McKay said concerns that those who feel a loss of identity and are getting caught up in harmful addictions have been voiced at community meetings.
“They are all good people, they’re just lost and we just need to bring them back. We need to encourage them: that they are valued, that they are loved, that they are precious and that we respect them, he said.
They’re not at a stage where they’re talking about a legal framework for Red Earth, but are instead looking at preventative justice initiatives.