B.C. First Nation makes justice a priority

Corrine Stone returned to her home community of Tl'etinqox First Nation last week to participate in the community's first-ever justice forum.

An elder cultural and spiritual advisor with Correctional Service Canada, Stone and her colleagues from the Aboriginal Initiatives Program brought dozens of drums, rattles, dreamcatchers, and other gifts made by inmates and presented them to youth and elders.

"It's their way of giving back to the community as they make their amends," Stone said as she pointed to a long table covered in the gifts. "Part of their therapy is doing the art work on the drums. It helps with their feelings of belonging and their identity."

Stone worked with women at the Mission Institute for four years and recently started working with men.

In the near future, she will be going to the Pacific Institution next to help create a healing centre for male prisoners in medium security.

The justice forum was held to celebrate the establishment of Tl'etinqox's justice program in 2017, something Chief Joe Alphonse said became important after a few young members of the community were killed and there were problems with youth gangs in the region.

"I kept showing up for meetings and it felt like we had no help," he said. "Williams Lake was the crime capital and many of the prolific offenders were from our community. Today seven of the area's 13 prolific offenders come from Tl'etinqox."

Recalling the first general meeting after he was elected nine years ago, Alphonse said at the time elders warned him not to talk about justice.

He decided not to back down, even though his house has been broken into, someone tried to steal his vehicle, and one of his hay stacks was set on fire.

"We are going to keep talking about this because it's the only way we are going to create a better community," Alphonse said.

Alphonse has gone into prisons to talk with offenders and said when he tells them he wants to help build a safer community, they sometimes respond by giving him the middle finger.

"I tell them 'I'm not trying to create a safer community for you, but you have a grandmother, you have an aunt, mom, sister or niece, and we are trying to build a safer community for them,' and then it registers that they have a role to play to create that safe community."

Correctional Service Canada regional administrator of Aboriginal Initiatives Fraser Clark said there are 26 full-time and 10 visiting elders coming in to work with the inmates.

"This is the first time we've ever done anything like this," he said. "The inmates are working hard an making use of the opportunities they are being given

The Path Home: Release Planning

Laura Bear and Bert Azak outlined Section 84, which is the Corrections and Correctional Release Act for offenders wanting to return to their home communities.

There are 436 Aboriginal men and women who expressed an interest in the program, Bear said.

"Right now we have 132 Aboriginal men and women out on a consultation process with a home community, which means the community has told them what they would like to see happen for the offender in their community."

Azak said an application to return home begins with the offender.

They write a letter and a consent form has to be signed off.

"That is sent to the community and the community reviews it, and with that review the community is also consulting with a liaison from Correctional Service Canada," Azak said.

When someone is sentenced, they are assigned a project manager who assesses what supports they need, Bear said, noting they are given programs and told what is required of them.

As they progress from the current site, which could be maximum, and move to minimum, that's when she asks them if they would like to go home to their community, and encourages them to be in contact with their family.

Last year Tl'etinqox hired Kaitlyn O'Toole to co-ordinate the justice program and in the fall of 2017 hired Guntas Kaur from Toronto to be her assistant.

O'Toole immediately created a justice committee with Cecil Grinder band councillor and wellness co-ordinator, RCMP Const. Ryan Fillmore, psycho-therapist counsellor Lisa Hartwick and elder Annette Frank.

"These people provide me with so much guidance," O'Toole said of the committee.

Alphonse said the only thing that can destroy the Tsilhqot'in is themselves.

"We have to give everyone the power to have a voice. I want to see our young people doing better. We will keep dealing with those gangs, but we will also build up our youth who are doing great things."

Read More: Tl'etinqox embarks on unique justice program

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