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Native gangs across Canada, especially in the Lower Mainland and Western B.C.,
have been expanding. The issue of Native gangs is completely ignored
and unknown. Just like rebel groups pluck children to recruit as child
soldiers in poor countries, gangs are plucking and enticing poor and
lost Aboriginal youth to join their gangs. These gangs intimidate youth
with violence and convince them to be part of a 'family', something that
a lot of them do not have. A gang looks welcoming when the youth's own
family life in shambles. The gangs are involved with the drug trade,
prostitution, and theft. "They
are certainly increasing in numbers and becoming
more sophisticated in how they do business," said Carpenter, who is a
member of the Inuvialuit settlement region in the Western Arctic. Gangs
use prisons as recruiting grounds and a lot of Aboriginal inmates enter
prisons not as gang members but leave as one. To make matters worse the
aboriginal matters conference in Ottawa said in 2010 that aboriginal
youth gang membership could double in the next ten years. Also, many
female gang members are traded among other male members and as
initiation are asked to have sex with many members.The issue of Native gangs is an unseen one but one that needs to be addressed.
Hello Esther, You are right about the "unseen" part. I was not aware that there are specific gangs among aboriginal communities targeting their vulnerable youth. In my blog I talk a lot about dangerous characters such as Robert Pickton who target the vulnerabilities of sex trade workers. Women are easily lured in because they are desperate for money and a place to stay. I find it very unfortunate that our society does not protect these groups; the ones who are so desperate and vulnerable. Ultimately, I believe that protecting these groups is the first step to solving issues such as yours and my own.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you are saying. I find that society picks and chooses what to focus on and ignores all the other problems. Aboriginal issues have always been ignored and it really sad. We need to focus on the root of the issue: Aboriginal home life. Whether it is poverty, family violence, abandonment, or lack of support, it all leads to destruction. Unfortunately, like you said, it leads to gangs, or for females, to prostitution in Vancouver.
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