Trespass Bylaw to Ensure Safety
STAND OFF AB – Blood Tribe Council has had ongoing concerns with respect to persons entering on the Blood Reserve for purposes related to the unlawful use and distribution of drugs to the detriment of Blood Tribe members.
Blood Tribe Council has taken several steps to minimize the impacts of the fentanyl/drug crisis on the Blood Reserve and to ensure the safety of Blood Tribe members. Enacting the Trespass Bylaw is one of the steps that Council has taken as part of the overall Drug Strategy.
The trespass bylaw was passed on May 13th and is set to come into effect.
The First Nation will require visitors to have a permit to enter the community. The permits will be available for extended periods, and community members will not need any permit.
In 2015 the Blood Tribe Council banished five community members from the First Nation over offences related to dealing drugs.
The Trespass Bylaw came into effect following request from community members.
Across Canada, there is a growing crisis with fentanyl. There are hundreds of people dying as a result of this drug.
The Kainai First Nation has taken the step of banning drug dealers from the community to protect community members from the impact of the dangers brought by drug dealers.
The Blood Tribe has a population of 12,800 (2015) occupying approximately 549.7 square miles with a Timber Limit in the Rocky Mountains of approximately 7.5 square miles. Three rivers, the Old Man, St. Mary and Belly, border the Blood reserve.
The traditional Blackfoot territory extends from the Rocky Mountains to the West; the Sand Hills to the East; to the North Saskatchewan in the North, and the Yellowstone in the South. The Blood Tribe Administration situated in Stand Off is the administrative centre of the Blood Tribe.
