Opaskwayak Cree Nation should remove the blockade since it is not being enforced equally.

Opaskawayak Cree Nation and its Incident Command Team have imposed a curfew and blockade that is supposed to protect its residents from co-vid 19 for several months now. In their document, they state that all OCN communities fall under this set of restrictions. Those of us who live on the Town Site know that this blockade is only enforced on townsite. Many of us have friends and family who live on the other OCN lands who do not have to worry about the blockade or curfew. A few councillors also live off reserve so they do not have to endure the blockade. We are also aware that certain groups of people get to come and go from the community as they please or with the Chief's endorsement for non-essential or non-medical purposes. They travel out of province and do not self isolate for 14 days as is required by Manitoba Health orders. So how is the blockade preventing co-vid 19 from entering the community if there is no consistency in how the orders are applied?

ANYONE can go to the mall! How is that keeping the community safe? People coming from other communities and provinces are at the mall at the same time as many of the community members are. The blockade is also killing business at the mall. It looks like a ghost town in there now. Where are all the shoppers going now? To the Town of The Pas! Are they going to come back? Probably not. The mall is becoming one big glorified office space because who would want to put a business in the mall when you don't know when you are going to be shut down?(not to mention the speed bumps that are damaging everyone's vehicles)

The blockade has passed its usefulness with the number of key people who are vaccinated. Those who choose not to be vaccinated have made their choice. Why punish the whole community for those who are not vaccinated with a blockade that is NOT treating everyone fairly? As long as people continue to mask up properly, there should be little chance for co-vid to spread. Treat us like responsible adults, not naive children!

In order for Opaskwayak Cree Nation to be a good community again, the blockade has to come down so people can try get back to being normal. Right now, we are all being treated like pre-1960s with Indian Agents telling us what we can and can't do because they know what is good for us. The blockade is costing us more in death in terms of suicides, unhealthy lifestyles, mental health issues than deaths from co-vid.

Time to take the blockade down. If we can reach 1000 signature, maybe a Go Fund Me page can be started to see what Legal Actions can be taken.

Concerned Citizens of OCN    Contact the author of the petition