Tamara Pimentel
APTN National News
A new trespass bylaw is now in effect for a reserve in Southern Alberta, due to the ongoing drug crisis.
The Blood Tribe Chief and Council hope it keeps drugs and illegal activity out, but some people there say it won’t change much.
A question could be asked if the Blood Tribe chief and his council on the basis they created and implemented the bylaw. Is this bylaw derived by using the Indian Act and under what sections? Also why wasn’t section 28(1) and (2) utilized since the Blood Tribe is supposingly a dry reserve under the federal government law of the Indian Act?
Finally? Why didn’t they follow the lead of our sister Nation, the Siksika reserve, to implement a drug testing bylaw on all elected leadership and to follow the Sandy Bay First Nation to banish drug, alcohol and solvent dealers as well as to allow the members to come back into their community only if and when they rehabilitate themselves.
I guess what I’m saying is that our leadership should have researched best practices and set the example by including themselves within the deterrence and fight against our transgressions. Oh and one more thing, they need to be asked why they refuse to answer to the Auditor General of Canada regarding all lands proceeds and why the Minister is refusing the tribe to apply for legal section 28 (1) and (2) farming and grazing permits for non tribal members. To date they are coming a federal offense of trespass and refusing to follow the Indian Act, the very document that gives legitimacy for And Indian Act First Nations’government to govern in Canada.