A view of Selkirk First Nation (SFN). Photo: SFN Facebook
An alleged drug dealer in Selkirk First Nation in the Yukon has agreed to not enter the community after the courts issued a temporary injunction against the man.
The temporary order will be in place until the Yukon Supreme Court issues a final decision at a later date.
The person has until May 5 at 4 p.m. to leave settlement lands and not come back.
In April, Selkirk filed a petition seeking an injunction to bar the alleged dealer. The man who is not an SFN citizen and lives in the nearby community of Dawson City.
The petition states between September of 2022 and February 2023, community safety officers received numerous reports that the man had trafficked illegal drugs on settlement lands to citizens, stolen from the community’s store and had an altercation with a member while on settlement lands.
On Feb. 21, Selkirk passed a unanimous decision that the man’s behavior posed a threat to public safety and that he would have 48 hours to vacate settlement lands.
If the man failed to do so, he would be considered a trespasser and the community would have him removed.
On Feb. 24, council’s decision was hand delivered to the man, however, reports continued to come in about the man trafficking illegal drugs.
Then, in late March, a community safety officer twice spotted the man on settlement lands.
“(The man) continues to attend on and stay on Settlement lands, without any right to do so,” the petition states.
Darin Isaac, who was chief at the time the petition was filed, said in an affidavit that drugs and alcohol have had a devastating impact on his people.
He noted the situation has intensified even more so due to non-citizens coming into Pelly Crossing and selling illegal drugs, especially opioids and crack cocaine.
“The availability of these illegal drugs in our community has led to a significant number of our Citizens abusing illegal drugs,” he said. “This has created a crisis in our community.”
In an effort to address that crisis, Selkirk has adopted a slew of measures in recent months to crack down on known drug dealers.
That includes partnering with the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods unit (SCAN) to protect housing involved in the sale of illegal drugs and bootlegging, issuing warnings and evicting tenants involved in drug dealing and requiring non-citizens to leave settlement lands if they’re involved in activities that could harm citizens.
Isaac noted while citizens are willing to speak with community safety officers, they are afraid to take their concerns to SCAN or RCMP out of fear of retaliation by drug dealers.
Leadership in the community said it had nothing to comment at this time, though it might after a final decision is made.
