Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Snowdrift (July 29/02) - Lutsel K'e Chief Archie Catholique, frustrated with the continuous flow of booze and drugs into his dry community, wants bootleggers and dealers expelled and tougher fines for drinking.

"I've relied on a lot of people on the outside but I don't get things that I want to get done," said Catholique.

"I want to do things without outside help and do it myself."

Catholique said the RCMP don't seem to able to stop bootleggers and drug dealers from doing their thing in the community.

So Catholique is working on community rules that would fine people $1,000 for drinking and expel bootleggers and drug dealers from the community until they change their ways.

Much of Catholique's frustration stems from the amount of drugs and alcohol being consumed by young people in his community.

While marijuana is currently the drug of choice for some young people, Catholique said harder drugs are starting to seep into the community.

"They are setting themselves up for failure," said Catholique.

"They are going to die from these things."

Catholique is also upset with the fact most of the drug dealers and bootleggers live in the community and hurt their own friends and relatives.

Some elders bootleg, said Catholique.

"Our own people are doing that to these people," said Catholique.

"You have $10 and these dealers will give it to anybody, as long as you have 10 bucks."

Catholique, who has been sober for 12 years, knows what alcohol addiction can do to people.

"I picked up the bottle because everyone else did it," said Catholique. "Even our parents were involved with that."

"But it created social problems," said Catholique. "I've seen some of my friends pass away in fires and going through the ice."

"It was slowly killing me," said Catholique.

Catholique said it was the example of his brother and former chief Felix Lockhart that helped turn his life around.

RCMP Const. Neil Flett, one of two officers that make up the Lutsel K'e detachment, said he understands Catholique's frustration, but there is little the RCMP can do.

"We can't save people from themselves," said Flett.

Bootleggers and drug dealers have been doing their business a long time and use the many island labyrinth around this community on the eastern arm of Great Slave Lake to their advantage, said Flett.

There is a nearly 50 kilometre prohibition zone around the community.

The vastness of the lake and shore-line make it impossible to monitor, said Flett.

They come by boat in the summer and snowmachine in the winter from Fort Resolution and Yellowknife.

In the summer they only sell to people in boats they recognize and sell out of camps in the winter, hiding their booze and drugs in the bush.

"It is just a free-for-all," said Flett, who tried to intercept snowmachines on the lake in winter but didn't catch any of the big dealers.

Flett said his detachment has dealt with 204 files since January, which is a lot in a community of 300 people.

But 90 per cent of the files are alcohol-related, said Flett.

"Thank God, we haven't had any alcohol-related fatalities," said Flett.

"It is just a matter of time."

Two other North Slave communities were not so lucky this summer.

In June, Rocky Zoe, 16, was stabbed to death during a party in Rae-Edzo and police believe alcohol was involved.

A 17-year-old was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the incident.

Earlier this month Eddie Paul Beyonnie, 22, was killed under what seems to be similar circumstances in Ndilo.

Derek Jason Sangris, 23, was charged with second-degree murder in connection to the incident.

It is these scenarios that has Catholique searching for answers to stop something the RCMP says is impossible to stop.

"I am going to find a way and put a stop to it," said Catholique.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes me, I am going to find something that is effective."