What is a Gang? - Native Women's Association of Canada Website

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What do the following groups have in common?• Saskatchewan Warriors• Indian Posse• Native Syndicate• Redd Alert• Crazy Cree• Mixed Bloods• Tribal Brotherz• Manitoba WarriorsThese are just a few of the Aboriginalgangs operating in Canada. Some of themare combinations of Aboriginal and others,such as: the Crips, Bloods, etc. Althoughmany of the Aboriginal gangs are locatedin the western provinces, the establishedgangs are moving into other provinces andterritories.Many have very specific membership,initiation and removal procedures.Although the ages range from 16 to 35years, these gangs have been known torecruit children that are younger than12 years of age.How to tell if gangs are enteringyour community:Gangs just don’t show up in the communityone day. They establish themselves overtime. Signs that a gang may be operating inyour community are:• Increased gang-specific graffiti inthe neighbourhoods• Increase in groups of unknown peopleloitering in the neighbourhoods• Increase in suspected narcotics activity• Gang colours and signs in thecommunity area and schools• Increase in community fear andwitnesses are reluctant to talkto police.• Increased crime, especiallyviolent crimeSo who are they recruiting?It starts with a false friendship and apromise of a better life. A sponsorshipthat promises to get you into a life of moremoney, more prestige, more things, andmore bling then you can imagine. You mayend up with more money but there is a costand that cost is your freedom. Join a gangand the gang owns and controls you.Established gang members recruit fornew gang members in schools, on thestreet, while confined in detention, in fastfood restaurants and their parking lots, atparties, in prison, at concerts and familyget-togethers (many recruits are the littlebrothers and sisters of established gangmembers), and anywhere else they mayfind potential members.Although most gangs are predominatelymale, they do recruit adolescentAboriginal females intoprostitution.Females whoparticipate in gangsare often treated as sexslaves, and have been involvedin secondary activities such as lookingout for police and carryingweapons and drugs formale gang members.– BC Centre for Safe Schoolsand Communities.pg. 2 Aboriginal Gang Violence - The Facts
“Some women do earn power by association. Tammy’s ex-boyfriendwas one of Redd Alert’s ‘top dogs.’ She ‘sold dope and beat up peopleif they owed money,’ and for a brief period, had the fur coat, the‘family,’ and the cash, but left because she grew tired of doing time.”–Maclean Magazine April 16, 2009Gang leaders and members are looking forvulnerable Aboriginal youth who:• Have dropped out or having difficultyin school.• Want to belong and may be feeling peerpressure from family or friends to jointhe gang.• Are looking for recognition.• Have a troubled family life in whichthere maybe substance or sexual abuseinside the home and are looking for asurrogate family.• Have substance or alcohol addictions.• Are easily intimidated.• Require protection from domestic/physical/sexual or psychologicalviolence.• Have low self-esteem or self-worth and,have a sense of helplessness.• Is experiencing poverty and live inhigh risk neighbourhoods.• Are unemployed and lackingemployment opportunities.• Believe the media glorification of thegang lifestyle and are unaware of theconsequences of joining a gang.• Have aggressive and hostile behaviourstoward people in authority.Why females join gangs...Most females don’t wake up one day anddecide to join a gang. Some join for love:their boyfriend is in a gang, and manybelieve their boyfriends will love themmore if they join their gang. Some areraised in gang-affiliated homes and theirfamilies expect them to become members.Getting In...Getting outOnce you have passed the sponsorshipmarker of a particular gang’s membershipcode you are now required to undergoan initiation ceremony to demonstrateyour loyalty. Before you can gain entranceinto a gang you are called a “recruit” or a“striker” depending on the gang.For some females whose boyfriendor family member is in the gang, thisinitiation ceremony is sometimes bypassedand they are “blessed-in” which meansthey must simply pledge an allegiance and/or receive a tattoo or other marking. Forfemales recruited by the gang, they areusually subjected to very abusive forms ofinitiation similar to their male counterpartssuch as:• The recruit must commit a crimefor the gang or recruit another femaleto prostitute for the gang.• The recruit must demonstrate thatthey have a criminal record. The moreconvictions equate more respect andhigher status within the gang.• The final phase of the initiation ritual isthe “beating in” or “jumping in” process.In this the recruit must endure a beatingor punching sessions from the othergang members. You cannot cry. Youcannot scream or fall down. You mustdemonstrate that you are tough enoughfor the gang. For some female recruitsthey must be “sexed-in” which means agang rape in which the stigma of being asex toy to the gang is difficult to shed.
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What is a Gang? - Native Women's Association of Canada Website

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