Gang culture is not Cree culture: Maskwacis ads urge First Nations youth to resist life of crime [Video]

A central Alberta First Nation that has been plagued by violence for decades has launched an initiative aiming to protect Indigenous youth from the pressures of gang life, both on and off reserve.

The First Nations that make up Maskwacis, about 80 km south of Edmonton, have launched an advertising campaign called “Change your Colours,” speaking directly to their young people.

“We’re all trying to fight for our kid’s attention and so that’s why this is so important,” said Samson Cree Nation Chief Vern Saddleback, adding gangs don’t have boundaries.

“We have a high population of Maskwacis people that live in the Edmonton area, and we’re always trying to figure out how to bring support to our people in the Edmonton region.”

The group said the initiative is more than a campaign — it’s a call to action, a reclamation of culture, and a message of healing for a generation at a crossroads.