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Blood Tribe focusing on community safety with new trespassing rules

Mar 23, 2017 | 10:40 AM

BLOOD INDIAN RESERVE — The Blood Tribe Council says they will be enforcing trespassing bylaws in an effort to minimize drug activity and maintain community safety.

In a media release Wednesday afternoon, Council announced that the Kainai/Blood Tribe trespass bylaw and regulations will come in to effect on April 13, 2017.

Two types of permits — residential and entry — will then be made available to all non-Blood Tribe members, since members already have a right to be on reserve land.
 
Residential permits will be required for anyone living on the reserve, including non-member spouses, children or grandchildren under 18-years old. Entry permits can be applied for annual, seasonal, specific or day purposes, for those conducting lawful activities.
 
People looking to attend activities that have already been authorized by Council, like hockey games, rodeos, pow wows, school events or local business, will not need to apply for any permits.
 
Once the rules are enacted, Blood Tribe police will have the authority to remove and charge anyone on the Blood Indian Reserve who cannot prove that they are a tribe member, or produce a valid permit.
 
The media release went on to state that the purpose is “not to punish or control those persons who are invited into the reserve and are not creating problems.” Instead, it’s a method of identifying those who do not have such permission.
 
The bylaw and regulations will be posted on the Blood Tribe Council website by April 3, including all of the specific requirements for applying and holding a permit.