Group campaigns to help Shamattawa rebuild, starting with its youth

A trio of people tied toShamattawa First Nation have started a campaign to help support the community's youth in hopes ofpreventing further tragedies through peer mentorship.

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The First Nation, located about 750 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg, lost its Northern Store and band office in a massive fire Thursday. A 12-year-old boy faces chargesand five other children are believed to be involved in setting the blaze.

At the time, many community leaders and members were at a funeral nearby and were out of the band office.

"My reaction was sadnessand concern. I know that many of the community members were at the funeral at the time of the fire, so I know there are many layers to the challenges that are happening," said Michael Champagne, North End Winnipegactivist and youth leader whose home community is Shamattawa First Nation.

"I just want to do what I can to help support my relatives," he added.

Last spring, the community of about 1,500was shattered when four youth took their own lives over a span of weeks, sparking a crisis.

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Champagne teamed up with his aunt, MaryAnne Clarke, a social worker in Winnipeg who used to live in the community and Roy Miles, a teacher in Shamattawa First Nation, to come up with ways to supportthe community. The money they raise will first go to any immediate necessities like food and buildingmaterialrequired beyond what the federal government and Red Cross are covering, but its primary focus is facilitating mentorship for the youth.

"They're the most valuable resource in the community and it's having them continue their development as leaders in learning how to respond to situations like this," said Clarke.

"This is a real opportunity to turn a big challenge, meaning the fire, to turn this big challenge into a new beginning."

Alternativeto criminal justice system

The group behind the campaign hopes tofly in mentors living away from the reserve whowould teach leadership, with a focus on employment and education, and help connect the young peoplewith otherkids in communities across the province.

"When they learn where they fit in the bigger scheme of the world, they learn that there's other youth going through the same challenges they are," said Clarke.

"There's a number of youth here [in Winnipeg] with blood from Shamattawa, very well-trained, very capable, and we just sort of need to have the opportunity to come together so it can happen," said Clarke.

But it's a challengeto reach the remote community, with flights from Winnipeg costing upwards of $1,000.It is accessible primarily by air, although there is an ice road in the winter. Their fundraising goal is $50,000 to account for the high cost of travel, but they consider it a worthwhile investment.

"If it was an hour away this would've happened 50 or 60 years ago," she said.

They believe youth mentorship is a better alternative than charging the 12-year-old suspected of beinginvolved in setting the fire.

"It does not benefit the community to criminalize the young people. I feel like the youth in the community deserve opportunities for restitution to make things better," said Champagne.

He proposes that the kids who started the fire get a chance to be heard.

"So that theyoung people can have a hand in fixing the harm that they were apart of," he added.

"There are going to be long-term effects for these young people already as a result of their participation in this tragedy and we don't want to compound any of those experiences by adding the justice system or criminalizing them, or shaming them any further."

The funeral that was taking place when the fire was set plays a role in their goal of positive change, he said.

"It was for a woman who was very, very, well-loved within the community and out. And I'm sure she and her family would love to see this as a beginning where we can reach out and develop those relationships so that we can work with the kids so things like this don't happen again," said Clarke.

"So that the strengths within the community can be respected and honoured."