Working on a plan to break the cycle

Members from community groups, agencies and program from across Northern Saskatchewan all gathered together in a room at the Bernice Sayese Centre to discuss one thing – how can they make Breaking the Cycle a reality.

There has been progress made in the plans to bring the gang-exit program to Prince Albert, including partnerships, support, and especially with the curriculum.

The curriculum for the program will be based on the values and teachings of First Nations from the area.

The program is already working in Toronto, but the Canadian Training Institute wanted to have a curriculum created specifically for the Northern Saskatchewan demographic.

John Dorion, a board member of the Canadian Training Institute and an integral part of the development of the curriculum, said the unique curriculum will help the youth.

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“We know a lot of these teachings will work with our young people. We’re providing them with an alternative so if they want to get out of the negative lifestyle then they (have) something they can follow, and that’s the whole purpose of this curriculum,” said Dorion.

Dorion said part of the reason young people are involved in these gangs is because they’re lost and need guidance, and the belief is that these teachings will give them direction and a sense of identity.

“These teachings have been around for thousands of years. That’s what helps us keep our young people healthy and also our communities healthy. But because of colonization and assimilation a lot of these teachings were not allowed, they were outlawed, we weren’t allowed to practice them and teach them in our schools,” said Dorion.

The curriculum will include relationships with the creator, mother earth, each other and how to relate to non-first-nations culture.

They will also focus on First Nations cultural beliefs and values, spiritual and cultural protocols and ceremonies. The First Nations laws and values include respect, love and humility, healing and wellness, and how to deal with trauma including fallout from residential schools.

“(Young people) need to learn these to live a good life,” said Dorion.

The groups involved have also gained many partners in the effort to bring the program to Prince Albert.

The Prince Albert Police Department is on board, and chief Dale McFee said believe programs like Breaking the Cycle along with early intervention would help the city dramatically.

He identified many problem areas that Prince Albert has, from high rates of alcohol and drug abuse, youth violence and gang activity to low education standards, lack of quality housing and high rates of unemployment.

The largest segment of the Prince Albert population is between the ages of 15 and 26, which is also the demographic most likely to commit crimes – and the second largest segment of the population is younger than that.

Therefore youth programs, such as Breaking the Cycle, which address those demographics can help reverse some of the problems that seem to be looming.

“We are not going to arrest our way out of this,” said McFee.

The groups have also started to discuss putting together the advisory council which would serve as the administrative council and provide the accountability framework as well as making sure the services are being properly provided and the finances are handled with integrity.

The council would have representatives from all 13 communities within the Prince Albert Grand Council.

“The advisory council really creates community ownership,” said John Sodden, director of the Canadian Training Institute which is the group behind the program. He said the program won’t work without a strong advisory council.

Youth in Prince Albert are also getting involved.

Howard Halkett, program director of the Bernice Sayese Centre, said the youth they spoke to had a lot of input about the program and that they plan to implement come of the ideas.

Halkett is involved with the drive to bring the program to Prince Albert and said it’s something that is really needed here.

“Hopefully this is a project that we can get up and running and off the ground, because… a lot of the other (programs) are coming to an end. These are programs our youth are involved in and look forward to, look forward to attending on a daily basis, we need something to replace those programs,” said Halkett.

“We need a program like this to start, we need to help our youth, we need to help them dream again, help make their dreams become reality.”

lschick@panow.com