Fighting the addictions crisis in northern Manitoba’s Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation

The addictions crisis is seeping into every corner of the province, including in remote and isolated communities in northern Manitoba.

The addictions crisis is taking a toll on some remote and isolated communities in northern Manitoba.

It’s something Carol Kobliski sees in her community of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation every day.

“I just don’t want to see a child pick up meth or crack and overdose on it. That’s what scares me the most,” Kobliski told Global News.

“If there’s a little baby, two or three years old, and they go pick it up thinking it’s candy … Is that what it’s going to take to wake up the community? It’s scary.”

Kobliski is the chief of law enforcement for Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), running a team of First Nations Safety Officers that patrol the community, working to prevent crime, enforce bylaws and assist the RCMP in policing the community.

“People want a safe community. They don’t like what’s going on, and we never had this. It was never this bad, but since the illicit drugs have come in, it’s getting worse,” she said.

The Cree nation in Nelson House is a picturesque, tight-knit community on the north shore of Footprint Lake, about an hour from Thompson, Man.

Kobliski says NCN has been gripped by addictions, crime and violence in recent years, and it’s having a devastating impact on children and youth.