I am a young Aboriginal woman. I am from the Siksika Nation Reserve in Alberta. Two years ago, I went through a life changing experience, which made me move to Calgary, Alberta. When I came up, I had absolutely no where to go. I didn’t know how to pick myself up from getting knocked down. So, I just went with the flow; started hanging out with the wrong crowd, started doing things that I wouldn’t normally do, just to fit in. Little did I know, I had walked myself into an addiction. I really didn’t have support up here to help me out of it. For two years, I was a crystal meth and heroin addict. That was the lowest, saddest time of my life. For our younger generation: we can easily get sucked into an addiction. I don’t regret everything that I have been through because it’s made me who I am today. I am now seven months clean and sober, taking it one day at a time. I am just putting it out there for the younger generation to make sure you have a strong support system when you come to Calgary. Make the right choices. It is not fun hitting rock bottom on the streets. There doesn’t have to be a first for everything.
– Anonymous
February 2018