Dispossessed and alienated tribal peoples often take to drugs,
usually the cheapest and most easily available such as alcohol
and petrol. The health of individuals and families collapses. Babies
are born with foetal alcohol syndrome, children get little care from
addict parents, teenagers follow suit, and once-respected elders
are alienated from younger generations. Cycles are fixed which
cannot be broken by merely treating individuals or symptoms.
The entire society falls apart.

Among Innu youth, sniffing petrol is an acute problem. In the
long term this addiction can cause convulsions and permanent
damage to the kidneys, eyes, liver, bone marrow and heart.
In 2000, 11-year-old Charles Rich died by accidentally setting
himself on fire when sniffing petrol. A child who witnessed this
horrific death said:

‘My name is Phillip. I’m a gas [petrol] sniffer. I sniff gas with
my friends. In wintertime, we steal skidoos and we steal gas…
I don’t go home because I sniff gas. And I sniff gas because
both my parents are drinking and I’m mad at that… At one
point Charles ran towards me when he was in flames but
because I was sniffing gas and the fumes were very strong
on me, I ran away. I was afraid I would be caught on fire too.’

Progress doesn’t have to kill. You can do something practical to help the Innu by simply writing a letter. It really works. Write a letter now using Survival’s online letter-writing tool »