Rampant meth use spurs need for Bear Clan in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation

A First Nation community grappling with an epidemic of meth use has launcheda Bear Clan group to support people struggling with addiction.

Melissa Bone, organizer of the newpatrol group atSioux Valley Dakota Nation, remembers beingimpressed watching a video of Bear Clan members helpingsomebody off the street, patting them onthe back and walking with them.

"Rather than being judgmental to what their lifestyle is, they're willing to be there with them and help them," she said.

"A lot of peopleeven here, you don't see that happen often."

This month, the western Manitoba community of 1,400 people on reserve mobilized its own version of Bear Clan, a volunteer-run organizationpatrolling the sketchiest streets in their communities for discarded needles and people in distress.

After the programwas revived in Winnipeg in 2014, the clubs flourished. There are now three separate Bear Clan patrols in the city, as well as chapters in Brandon, Selkirk, The Pas and OCN.

Meth epidemic felt locally

Bone personally encountered the meth crisisthis summer.

"I had a couple family members that were users and seeing what it had done to them and trying to get them help,I had a hard time finding them help, actually," she said.

That's where Bear Clan stood out to her.

"I liked their approach," Bone said, "how helpful they were and kind they were to people, and that's what I wanted to bring into our community."

She wanted that"for our people rather than what other [First Nation] communities have done by kicking them out of their homes, taking their children or banishingthem," she said. "Why don't we try and help our people in any way that we can, rather than hurting them more?"

Governor General walks with Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol

6 years ago

Duration 0:45

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette met with members of Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol Monday evening before taking a walk through the North End neighbourhood they guard.

Bone estimates around 100 people in the community usemethamphetamine.

She doesn't know how Sioux Valley's Bear Clan will evolve, but she expects their duties will include regular patrols and volunteering to help familiesstruggling. They have about a dozen volunteers so far.

James Favel, executive director of Bear Clan Inc., is impressed that Sioux Valley got theirBear Clan off the ground only a couple weeks after meeting with him.

He said the organic growth of Bear Clan patrols across the provinceis in line with the worsening meth crisis.

"Thecommonality across the board is the meth epidemic in our northern communities and all of our communities in Manitoba and in Canada."

In Winnipeg, Favel said their North End patrol has started crossing over the tracks this winter and patrolling the Centennial neighbourhood twice a week because of a void in service.