Many of the issues that led to a state of emergency being declared in Mayo last March are still a problem, according to a letter sent to Premier Ranj Pillai in November 2023.
“We jointly request that the Government of Yukon take immediate action to address the concerns brought forward by the community of Mayo as they relate to the opioid crisis and health care,” reads the letter, dated Nov. 15.
The letter is signed by Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Peter Johnston and Association of Yukon Communities president Ted Laking.
It was sent in the weeks following of the first-ever Chiefs and Mayors Forum (CMF) held in October of 2023.
“One of the key issues that we discussed at this meeting was the health challenges faced by Yukon communities, and in particular the impacts of the opioid crisis,” the letter said.
The letter noted the state of emergency declared by the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun (FNNND) on March. 14, 2023.
The emergency was declared in the aftermath of a double homicide in the community of Mayo. The FNNND released a statement stating the opioid emergency was connected to an increase in violence, crime, overdoses and deaths.
As part of the declaration, the First Nation requested the development of an action plan between the Yukon government, RCMP and the Village of Mayo.
Part of that request included an increased police presence in the community, evicting tenants from FNNND housing units if they were engaged in drug-related activity, and requiring non-First Nations citizens to register before entering settlement land, and to vacate that land between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The letter states that at the forum, representatives from the village and FNNND said not enough has been accomplished.
Pillai responded to the AYC and CYFN on Dec. 13, 2023.
In his four-page letter, the premier said the department of Justice is “engaging with” the FNNND on community safety planning. He also said the Yukon government is doing preparatory work around developing a plan.
The letter went on to outline supports that already exist in Mayo, including a full-time clinical counsellor, a mental health nurse who visits Mayo from Dawson City every two months, and a child, family and youth counsellor who visits monthly from Dawson.
“We are actively recruiting a mental health support worker, who will provide outreach supports to community members living with mental health and/or substance use issues. Representatives from Na-Cho Nyak Dun are part of the interview panel,” said the premier’s letter.
It went on to say the Yukon government released a Substance Use Heath Emergency Strategy in August 2023. A number of points in the strategy are focussed on providing community support, including frontline staffing, safe and sober housing and land-based mental health and substance-use treatment options.
That final option, said Pillai’s letter, was fulfilled with the November 2023 launch of the Land-Based Health Fund Initiative, which is administered by CYFN. Through the fund, $9 million will be available over three years (until March 31, 2026) to fund traditional practices on the land that address trauma and grief.
The letter also outlined longer-term plans.
In September 2023, the government held meetings about alternative policing options with FNNND Chief and Council, RCMP and village staff. This included Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) — a law enforcement agency of the government’s Department of Justice (the government will host a community-wide presentation in Mayo on Jan. 16 to explain how SCAN works).
The government’s Integrated Restorative Justice Unit also hosted a Community Restorative Justice Circle in the community that month.
The News contacted the FNNND, the Village of Mayo, the AYC, the Government of Yukon and CYFN. No one responded by press time.
Contact Amy Kenny at amy.kenny@yukon-news.com
