The odds were stacked high against Christian Parrish Takes The Gun.

Born to alcoholic parents. Entered foster care at 10 years old. You could fill in the rest of the conventional narrative.

Instead, Parrish Takes The Gun says he's been sober his entire life – one of three in his graduating class that could say so.

He explains how he avoided addiction with a parable.

“There's an alcoholic father who raises identical twin boys. Later on in life, one of them became an alcoholic and the other one was sober,” he says.

Parrish Takes The Gun continues, both boys are asked how they ended up the way they did. Both answer, “'I watched my dad.'”

Parrish Takes The Gun is from the Apsaalooke Nation near Montana. He learned early on that a life without drugs and alcohol is better, having seen the damage inflicted on his own family. He adds sobriety follows the traditions of his ancestors.

Today, he's a hip-hop artist with a family of his own. He's known by his stage name, Supaman, and spoke yesterday on Day 2 of the Youth Conference at the World Indigenous Nations Games, being held in Maskwacis this week.

His message to the roughly 50 youth inside Nipisihkopahk Secondary School's auditorium was also about positive thinking, that attitude is self-fulfilling and that growing up on the reserves does not preclude success.

“What we speak, comes to pass. We have that power,” said Parrish Takes The Gun.