'It’s children who are dying': Residents from Ahtahkakoop speak out about recent deaths

Clarification: CTV News has updated the original article and removed some descriptions of incidents which CTV was unable to fully verify.

Some parents from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation say drug and gang problems are plaguing the community.

Megan Tori-Bird said that since April, several young people have died in the community of around 1,800 people located roughly 72 kilometres northwest of Prince Albert.

“It really hurts to watch my daughter deal with that kind of grief. Her friends are passing around her,” Tori-Bird said.

Tori-Bird said she is a Sixties Scoop survivor and came to live on Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation seven years ago.

She said she wants more done to address the drug trade in the community and to make it a safer place for her 18-year-old daughter and other youth to live.

“These are our children. These are our futures. And youth is 18 to 29, and that’s the demographic going most ignored out here,” she said.

Tori-Bird said she has taken her concerns to the Ahtahkakoop chief and band council, the Premier, Indigenous Services Canada, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.

“I’m trying to keep my 18-year-old at home to keep her away from all of these influences and it’s very unfair to her,” Tori-Bird said.

“It’s a party scene. And she hears, ‘Why is your mom trying to shut down our good time?’ But it’s not a good time. It’s not a good time for our mothers. It’s obviously not a good time for our children because it’s children who are dying.”

Tori-Bird said at present a young woman from the community is on life support and remains in hospital as the result of drug consumption.

There have been several recent deaths in the community.

Randall Bowman, 24, died Aug. 13. RCMP have said his death was a homicide and are investigating. To date, no charges have been laid in connection with his death.

Isaiah Arcand, 22, was reported missing to RCMP on June 29. RCMP said his body was found on the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation on Aug. 6, and the circumstances surrounding Arcand’s death are not considered suspicious.

Bird said another man recently died after an incident at a party.

A parent who lives on Ahtahkakoop, who asked not to be identified, said the same day Bowman died, there was a brutal assault of a young man on the reserve.

RCMP said it received a report of seriously injured man at residence on Ahtahkaoop Cree Nation around 11:20 p.m. on Aug. 13 and asks anyone with information related to the incident to contact police.

“I would like leadership and RCMP to step in and help with the drugs and gangs. It’s affecting everybody. The elderly are scared. People are scared. There’s so much confusion on why no one is helping,” the parent said.

Attempts by CTV News to contact the community's leadership were unsuccessful.

The parent said they were afraid to let their children walk or bike alone, as people they know have been threatened and had guns pointed at them.

They want to move but said they can’t afford to live elsewhere.

“There’s this dark shadow over the reserve, and no one has answers for anything,” the parent said.