Stacy Swampe grew up in Alberta during the mid to late part of the twentieth century. He says, like many other Indigenous kids his age, he liked to play hockey and sing in powwows.
For him, however, he says everything changed the day his father died.
“I lost my role model on that day,” he said.
After his father’s death, Swampe said he turned to drugs to cope, which would soon lead him into a life with gangs. For many years he has been in and out of jail.
“All of my life I have been in the system,” said the survivor of the Sixties Scoop.
However, Swampe’s story took an encouraging turn when he decided to leave his gang life behind and joined the organization Str8-Up. Str8-Up is an organization that offers outreach and support to those who have lived or are living criminal street lifestyles and who want to make positive changes in their lives.
While Swampe openly admits Str8-Up saved his life, he says the transition was very hard, but worth it.
“It sucked,” he said. “Nobody likes to get beat-up daily, two to three times a day, but what they did was enforce my walk and I haven’t looked back since.”
Swampe has been with Str8Up for 9 years. The organization is hosting a conference in Saskatoon this week. Several communities, organizations and police services will be on hand for the two-day conference hoping to find practical ways to reduce gang activity.
For Swampe, conferences like these are a way to give back.
“I get the chance to share my experiences and my understanding about the cause and effect on gang activity and hopefully the communities that come here can find some insights to take back.”
Swampe has been sober for 15 years and has completed a degree in social work. With his degree he hopes to help make changes to the current justice system.
The Str8Up conference runs until Thursday.
(PHOTO: Stacey Swampe. Photo by Joel Willick)