Rich Canadian Reserve Becomes a Gang War Zone (Part 1 Of 2)

In a town of 12,000, a dozen firearm-related reports over the span of three weeks make Hobbema sound like a war zone. But on the Alberta reserve, where a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting struck a toddler last Sunday, the number of reports actually marks an improvement.

"In 2005, we were averaging four or five drive-bys a night," said Corporal Darrel Bruno, a spokesman for Hobbema's RCMP. At the time, the detachment carried a caseload that was more than three times the national average. But after the massive national attention that its gang-related violence drew, 10 additional members were dispatched to the reserve, 80 kilometres south of Edmonton.

Marred by disenfranchisement, high rates of drug abuse, fragmented family life in part as a result of the residential school systems, and violence, Hobbema is a business hub for 13 native gangs, including the Redd Alert, Indian Posse and the Alberta Warriors.
Experts attribute the increase in crime to a growing need for crack cocaine. As Alberta becomes more affluent from oil money, more people in boomtowns such as Fort McMurray want drugs. Despairing towns like Hobbema become thoroughfares for this kind of trafficking, and the gangs start jockeying for power. "It's supply and demand," observed Ms. Grekul.
Gangs rely on recruiting young people to do their bidding, and more than 50% of Hobbema is 18 or younger. They also bolster their number in prisons. A freed prisoner, however, typically remains attached to his gang and continues the cycle of violence on the outside, beginning with bringing in fresh blood.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• native
• gang
• gangsters
• gangsta
• hobbema
• edmonton
• alberta
• cree
• canada
• rcmp
• stray
• bullet
• bystander
• injured
• scarred
• cadets
• unemployment
• rap
• lyrics
• hip
• hop
• struggle
• poverty
• cell
• jail
• prison
• federal
• drug
• alcohol
• abuse
• dealy
• weapons
• guns
• gunfire
• drive-by
• shootings
• graffiti
• warriors
• indian
• posse
• redd
• alert
• gang-plagued
• samson
• true
• soldiers
• 13
• gangs
• thirteen
• troubled
• long
• sentence
• deterrent

[lucy9359]

@ub3rskillz no that is not true I am brought up to be responsible by a mother with native blood who never taught me to blame everything on the white man which to many of you do and that is what your problem is blame instead of doing something for your life!

[CrazyMunky84]

@PisimAwasis I'm always amazed by the ignorance of the Native population on how they truly believe they saved all the Colonists and showed them how to live. While history does show they may have shown some Colonists certain details on how to survive her saving some of their lives they were far from keeping all the Colonist's alive. History shows that. The British empire had colonized the entire world figuring out how to survive in all lands and climates. I really doubt Canada was anything new.

[danler300]

FUCK A SNIFF IP NSK ALL DAY ERRDAY BITCHES

[symokaov]

native people make me sick seeing them on the streets fucking gross, thats why russians are the best

[bdoggstatus]

thats what happens when crack comes to tha rez or anywhere theres crack always gonna be violence that follows



[BrockTylor10]

To get to the main point don't judge a book by it's cover, but I'm first nation to and only Toronto has legal to smoke green. But if u diss a indian or be racist or act tough, but 20 natives will break in the back and front of ur house, mainly just kill u and take valuable things, but what I'm saying here is , become friends with then right people , man I know I didn't, there's really no one that's a normal person here , all adults and teens are gang members,

[BrockTylor10]

@OriginalMickMOB dude its crazy here, over at least 19 thousand gang members in every town, it's frickin crazy man over 50 deaths like every 1 or 2 days, natives are hardcore here , more then black ppl

[OriginalMickMOB]

Canada has it good compared to over here in the midwest where shits at a standstill and most of the time business isnt really a choice shit id go to canada to get good healthcare and smoke the green but ive got too many felonies.its because some spoiled bitch in canada decided his life was too hard that made this young one get this shit come on canada stop pretendin yall got it good why you gotta pull some dumb shit like that?

[Jessizh]

@ub3rskillz People are responsible for their own choices. You CHOOSE DRUGS you CHOOSE BOOZE its not anyones fault but their own. Reservations around Canada thrive, except some. So this is not a "white" man problem. Its an indivdual problem. Stop blaiming others and take some responsibity for your own actions.

[Jessizh]

@lucy9359 well said. 

[steveyzermanisdaboss]

the real problem is the assimilation that has caused these Aboriginal youth to feal their culture is inferior and worthless and are grasping onto the only thing they can find a meaning in and this is these gangs we need to begin by realizing that white privilege is all around us and accept this without doing this there will always be this inferiority complex that continues to destroy Aboriginal people