No blood, just sweat and tears

by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 13/97) - Ron Near sees many familiar faces. Behind those faces it wouldn't be hard to find someone who can tell you a horror story.

Near knows those faces because he was a Mountie for 25 years, serving in the North for 15.

Now he sees those faces and others behind a high fence topped with razor-sharp coils of wire at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre, where he is the warden.

Near doesn't come right out and say it, but pride comes through when he talks about some of the people who are serving time in jail.

He's fiercely proud of what they're doing to change their lives, though he's not naive enough to think all are undergoing some miraculous change because they are taking healing programs in the jail.

"It's not an easy program. There are mountains and valleys," Near said.

People often see victims as of full of grief and pain, but Aline Laflamme says many of the prisoners have that, too. And it drives them to crime and violence.

A Metis who's helping the prisoners to change their lives through healing programs of sweat lodge and pipe ceremonies, Laflamme said the solution is to help the prisoners overcome their demons.

Laflamme outlined a simple philosophy that might turn around the worst violent criminal: "If we treat ourselves well, we treat others well."

A healing circle plays a major role in the program.

Near said the "circle is powerful" and brings out a lot of emotions in the inmates.

He said it is impressive to see inmates of all different ethnic backgrounds open up in their peers' presence.

Laflamme said that in their prayers they think of the air that their ancestors breathed and how we all share the same air with everything in creation.

The choices the inmates make create a pathway that is walked on by people coming behind them.

"These guys care about the young guys coming (to jail) behind them. They know hopelessness."

Those who go through the healing program want to show the young prisoners that they don't have to spend the rest of their lives in jail, that they can change, Laflamme said.

Some of those prisoners have incredibly long records, having spent half their lives in jail.

Proof of the possibility for change came a couple of weeks ago in YCC, Laflamme says. A prisoner who has been violent all his life flew into a rage at one member of the circle.

Later he apologized. "That took a lot of courage," Laflamme said.

"These are pretty rough, tough guys ... this is a major step for them," said Near. A lot of these guys probably never apologized to anybody in their life."

Added Laflamme, "In fact, the guy receiving the apology never received an apology in his life and he was profoundly affected."

Near said Laflamme runs "a feel-good program which makes a person stronger and feel proud. A lot of the things you and I take for granted is a major step for them to take."

The correctional centre has been undergoing some major steps, too -- some would say revolutionary steps.

"There's been major changes, not only for the inmates, but for the staff too. Overall, everybody is very supportive.

"We're trying things that have never been done before and we'll see what works and what doesn't ... the program will evolve with Aline and grow into something better than it is now."