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24 The Chronicle November 29 - December 5, 2016 chronicle.durhamcollege.ca Community First Nations vote on new education system Indigenous students are top priority Angela Lavallee The Chronicle Thirty-nine Ontario First Nation communities are voting on putting their own education system in place. The vote, which ends Dec. 2, is the final step in a lengthy process. Negotiations with the federal government began in 1995 and a deal was reached in July, 2015. Since the creation of the Indian Act in 1887, the government has controlled the education of Indigenous students and Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee said in a public statement that the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI), which governs the 39 First Nations in Ontario, couldn’t allow the Indian Act to determine the success of children any longer. “Right now as it stands, our First Nation children are not very successful in the provincial school system and we have a plan to fix that and give our children the same advantage as other students in Ontario,” said Madahbee. ‘Say Yes to AES’ (Anishnabek Education System) is the slogan supporters are using to get the message out to the voting communities. Kinoomaadzwin Education Body (KEB) will be the governing board to which the federal government will distribute $110 million. The KEB will then distribute funds to each First Nation community which ratifies the vote, according to the UOI. Madahbee says the new system is for the future success of Ontario First Nation students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12 and onto post-secondary education. The UOI agrees there will be learning curves and it will take time for the new education system to take full setting in Ontario, but according to the Grand Chief the children will be better off and will get top notch education in traditional learning such as language and cultural teachings. Currently there are about 27,000 students under the UOI umbrella - roughly 22,000 of these live in urban areas. Another 2,400 live on the reserve, but attend schools off reserve and 2,100 attend schools on the reserve. Each of the 39 First Nations are holding a vote which started Nov. 28 and ends Dec. 2, with results to be announced early in 2017. Twelve First Nations must ratify in order for the new education system to be implemented. The UOI says they want the new education system implemented by April, 2018. In a live stream of the fall assembly in Rama First Nation, Chief Mahadbee announced that 30 communities have indicated an interest in the new education system. He also stated that any First Nation which is not ready can come on board at a later date. “This is a no-brainer people,” said Mahadbee. “We cannot fear change, remember our people are reislient and smart.” Dave Shawana, who is part of the education working group at the UOI, said the new education system was a collaborative effort. “We are moving in the right direction with this and our children are worth it,” said Shawana. Mahadbee added, “let’s be champions in our children’s educational future, this is one of the most important things we will ever do for our children.” Julie Pigeon, aboriginal student advisor at Durham College, respects the enormous amount of time and effort to develop such a system, but says the AES will only help those who are under the UOI umbrella. “My band Cape Croker is not part of the UOI, and I’ve only read parts of the new system and therefore I cannot comment on what the new system is about,” said Pigeon.
Community chronicle.durhamcollege.ca November 29 - December 5, 2016 The Chronicle 25 Needles are often used to inject fentanyl and other illicit opioids. Photograph by Toby Van Weston Fentanyl: A silent epidemic Tommy Morais Toby Van Weston The Chronicle Recreational drug users in Durham have something new to worry about. Durham Regional Police Services warn users the drugs they are consuming may now contain traces of the deadly opioid fentanyl. The drug has slowly tightened its grasp on the region and is beginning to garner attention and raise eyebrows. It is the same drug that took the life of pop legend Prince earlier this year. The American National Institute on Drug Abuse defines the drug as a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery. Fentanyl takes multiple forms. Lozenges, dissolving tablets, spray and patches are just a few them. It can be smoked, eaten and taken intravenously among other methods of consumption. Max—not his real name— an Oshawa resident, witnessed his friend’s near-death experience in his own home. Max’s friend started using Percocet he obtained on the black market recreationally. He progressively experimented and moved up to harder drugs until he used heroin that was laced with fentanyl. An evening of recreational drug use took a drastic turn. Max’s friend almost didn’t survive the night. “It was an extremely traumatic experience seeing someone you love whose lips are literally blue not responding to anything,” says Max. “I’ll never forget the sound of air leaving his lungs as my friend was trying to revive him. It was a horrible sound. I’m traumatized by that and I have dreams about it. I’m very cautious about spending time with this person who was once historically close to me.” Stories like these are becoming increasingly common. The Durham Region Police Service (DRPS) has taken notice of fentanyl’s growing prominence in the recreational drug scene. I’m traumatized by that and I have dreams about it. “We’re certainly seeing fentanyl appear on our streets. We started to see incidences of it in 2014 in connection to other drugs,” says David Selby, director of corporate communications for the DRPS. Recreational users are often unaware the drugs they are using are laced with fentanyl, says Selby. In some cases, it’s a mix that can prove fatal. “There’s a trend continuing today where you’ll have fentanyl sprinkled into some others drugs and the user doesn’t know. They think it’s heroin or some OxyContin. What they realize afterwards is that fentanyl was laced,” explains Selby. “It’s an incredibly powerful drug, one that can certainly kill you.” A fentanyl overdose can be difficult to differentiate from other drug overdoses. It takes time and testing before conclusions can be drawn. “We’ve had numerous deaths and overdoses in Durham Region. We later find out after the laboratory tests are done and screened that fentanyl was found in the heroin, oxy pills or misused patches even,” Selby says. Despite the efforts of DRPS, users are still finding ways of getting their high in Durham. The Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health in Oshawa is responsible for the treatment of those trying to kick their fentanyl habits. According to Cindy Kwok, clinical coordinator at the Pinewood Centre, there is no 12-step program when addicts try to quit fentanyl and opioids. Kwok describes fentanyl as “euphoric.” Lakeridge Health encourages its patients not to try to quit cold turkey to overcome addiction. “That is the worst thing to do,” stresses Kwok. “Unless they taper it, with support and the proper medication.” Kwok says a growing number of the population is becoming addicted because they are being prescribed fentanyl for pain relief. For some, prescription is where the addiction takes root. But as with Max’s story, the dangers are not just limited to those who take the drug. It also affects the user’s environment, including friends and family. Although help is available, Max is still worried about his friend and the relapses are real. “My one friend has stepped in to get clean on multiple occasions. It works for a period of time but he eventually makes his way back to it,” says Max. The road to recovery sometimes requires multiple attempts. “Addiction happens on all walks of life. They were on substances and they decide to change their lifestyle”, says Cindy Kwok. “They want to have a regular life, keep their job, not have to steal money to buy drugs and families to take care of.” If you or someone you know is affected by fentanyl help is available at each of Pinewood’s five locations: 300 Centre St. Oshawa 905-723-8195 ext. 221 419 King St. W. Oshawa 905-571-3344 ext. 110 200 King St. E. Bowmanville 905-697-2746 180 Mary St. Port Perry 905-985-4721 95 Bayly St. Ajax 905-683-5950 ext. 224 For general inquiries: 905-723-8195 1-888-881-8878 Source: Durham Region Health
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