NUNAVUT - Motivated to help youth stay away from drugs in their community, eight Nunavummiut have trained as facilitators to deliver a substance abuse prevention program in their communities.

Julie Alivaktuk from Pangnirtung shows off her graduation certificate after completing the RCMP's Aboriginal Shield Program in Iqaluit. She said that once back in her community, she wants to help youth stay away from drugs. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

Saul Adams, Rosie Kopalie, Deborah Tobin, Manasee Ulayuk and Jennifer Blake from Iqaluit, Julie Alivaktuk from Pangnirtung and Annie Manning Lampron from Cape Dorset are the first community facilitators trained to deliver the RCMP's Aboriginal Shield Program in Nunavut.

Following a one-week course, the eight will deliver an 11-week drug prevention program to Grade 5 to 8 students in schools or to youth outside school. The new RCMP program promotes healthy living and healthy lifestyle choices in aboriginal communities, said RCMP Const. Angelique Dignard, the program co-ordinator for Nunavut.

"They're here because they believe in prevention," she said of the trainees. "It's amazing to see them work, to see the participants from this course – the passion they have, how they believe in youth. They believe in prevention. They want to do good for their community. That's what we need."

She added the new program was piloted in six Canadian communities last year, including Iglulik and Arviat.

Lampron, who said drugs are starting to be a problem in Cape Dorset, will target young people when delivering the program because they're vulnerable and she wants to help them.

"I want to help my community," she said. "Our young people are crying for help and I feel that taking this course would help my community reach out to the young people."

She added she was very happy to come to Iqaluit and learn about drugs and their harmful effects. Lampron said many positive things would happen with prevention.

"If I only help one person, that's a big thing for us, for the community. If that person has good choices to make, then it influences other students in the community," she said.

Alivaktuk, who graduated as a co-facilitator, said she will tell youth drugs are bad and are a bad idea.

"I see so many young people just not have a life because of drugs. I know youth in the North can do so much and they just can't see that because drugs are stopping them," she said. "I'm hoping to educate them of what drugs can do to you because I see so many people in Pang that are just addicted to it or going to be addicted to it."

She added she wants youth to know more about what drugs do so they'll make a good decision.

"'I can't see you go through this anymore. It's going to affect you. You just can't do that anymore.' That's what I'd want to tell young people," said Alivaktuk.

Dignard said the program's goal is to have sustainability through the training of community members because police officers transfer or move out of a community.

"Kids need role models that come from all different walks of life. Some kids will gravitate towards the police, some kids will gravitate towards elders," she said. "It's nice to have a nice mix of people deliver the program, and it also brings in the aspect of the culture, it brings in the aspect of community members that have that connection."

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