'I want them to live on': Yukon residents remember loved ones lost to opioids, drug overdose

Thirty people gathered for a somber vigil in Carcross, Yukon, Saturday afternoon to remember those they've lost to opioids and support the grieving families they've left behind. 

The Carcross/Tagish First Nation declared a state of emergency last week, after three of their members died from drug use. The coroner later confirmed to CBC that all three deaths involved opioids. 

Lyndsay Amato, the vigil's organizer in Carcross, said it's a way to mark these losses, but also a time to pressure the territorial government for more harm reduction support outside of the major centres.  

"I come out here and everybody is affected," Amato told CBC. 

"We lose one person, we lose a part of us. When you come home and there's another person gone, what are we coming home to? Pretty soon, we're going to have nothing left." 

Vigils like it sprang up across the territory, including in Whitehorse, Teslin, Mayo, Pelly Crossing and Carmacks. 

People gathered around the fire to pray, listen to somber drumming and light candles for the dead. 

During the ceremony, Amato said she took the time to remember her older brother, who she lost to an overdose four years ago. 

It's still something that's difficult for her to talk about, she said. 

"He was a very strong person in my life," Amato said. "I never really recovered from that loss, I don't think I ever will. 

"I know he'll be super proud of me for doing this." 

Sean McDougall, who works for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, said the state of emergency call should be considered a cry for help. 

"We've tried the best that we can, but we also need outside help," McDougall said. 

Still, McDougall said it's hard to know what needs to be done to make permanent change in his community, for the better.