44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 16, 2024 11:00AM
- Sep/16/24 3:43:53 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I rise today to seek leave for an emergency debate regarding the recent deaths of six first nations people at the hands of police forces in Canada. The lives of indigenous peoples matter. Report after report, recommendation after recommendation, the RCMP is still instilling systemic racism against indigenous peoples in Canada. For decades, indigenous peoples have been injured and, worse yet, have died at the hands of the RCMP.
From August 29 to September 8, in just 11 days, Canadian police killed six people. All six were first nations. I honour the first nations families that are grieving and deserve justice. The injustices experienced by the first nations killed by the RCMP deserve our attention. Two were hit and killed by police vehicles. One was shot in the chest three times during a wellness check. Another was a 15-year-old child who had called police for protection. Two officers shot at him as he ran away. Two others were shot by police responding to service calls. This should never have happened, and we will not accept it.
With the exception of the APTN, not much other national media is exposing these deaths. Why? Because systemic racism and the deaths of indigenous people is normal and expected.
The government must answer this: Why do indigenous people continue to be victims of violence carried out by the government? As parliamentarians, it is on us to hold our institutions accountable. No more: We must show Canadians that their Parliament is addressing the institutional violence perpetrated in their communities, today.
The NDP and I are seeking an emergency debate so parliamentarians can discuss immediate measures to save indigenous lives, today. We must honour indigenous peoples. No more indigenous children must lose their fathers to the barrel of an RCMP gun. No more sisters must be stolen by the RCMP. No more indigenous children must get bullet wounds instead of help.
I call on you, Mr. Speaker, to ensure the country takes seriously the systemic racism that continues to kill indigenous peoples, to do your part to help indigenous lives and to demand accountability for indigenous peoples.
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- Sep/16/24 6:12:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right that we have seen, just in general, such incompetence from the government when it comes to immigration, or such abuse of process.
I did some advocacy on a case. It was a particularly sad situation of international students who were basically victims of fraud. They were able to come into Canada because both they and the government were deceived by that fraud, and then the government proposed to deport them four or five years after the fact.
I hope I get another question from the government, in particular from the former parliamentary secretary for immigration, who seemed to be reacting in various ways to my speech but has missed the opportunity to pose a question on this matter.
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- Sep/16/24 6:45:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nunavut for bringing this important debate, and I want to thank the House of Commons for recognizing its importance. I have been around a long time, and the idea that we would actually have an emergency debate about the needless deaths of indigenous peoples at the hands of police would have been unimaginable just a few short years ago. Therefore we have come down the road, but have just not come to where we need to be.
I would like to begin by apologizing to Shelley Mae Anderson, who died in my hometown, a murdered and missing indigenous woman. I had never even heard her name. I knew nothing. This was in a little town. We all look out for each other. We know everybody. She was taken and killed. Her family was putting up posters and had T-shirts, but she was indigenous. I want to apologize to Shelley Mae Anderson's family, because I think of it being in my hometown and that we did nothing.
My colleague talked about people being safe, and it is a fundamental issue: the right of indigenous communities to be safe. Right now, I think of Ricardo Wesley, 22, and James Goodwin, 20, two young boys in Kashechewan, who got picked up one night for being drunk and put in a police station that looked like a crack house. It was not a proper police station because it was so seriously underfunded. A fire broke out and those boys burned to death. For years, Kashechewan talked about safety in the community and the rights of people to make sure they had not just proper infrastructure but proper police services, and we are still having those fights today.
I want to be fair to the police officers whom I know who are trying to wrestle with so many issues with the opioid crisis, the gangs coming in and the young gangbangers who are threatening and killing people. These are very complicated times. They do not have the support they need, and they do not have the support in first nation communities. The first nation communities are calling for the ability to be able to use band powers to get predators out of the communities, who are making people sick, causing people to die and causing violence.
We need to be looking at this holistically. I want to thank Mushkegowuk Council, which worked with the City of Timmins, and the Fire Keepers, who walk the streets to keep people safe now, to keep people alive. We need this holistic approach of police and mental health, and working with first nations so we can do this to keep people from getting in situations where violence seems to be the solution.
I have to admit that I grew up in Pierre Berton's Canada. Pierre Berton's Canada was a great place to grow up. We got taught that the RCMP was like bureaucrats. It kept us all safe. Nobody ever taught me in school that it was the light cavalry, the shock troops to enforce the taking of indigenous lands. That history I never learned. Indigenous peoples knew that history from the get-go and still know that history. We have to confront that history if we are going to make a change, because if we do not confront that history, we do not understand the fact that when my colleague talks about people being safe, it is being safe not just in their home communities but also in Toronto, Winnipeg or Montreal.
Are they going to call the police when they have been in a situation where they have faced threat? Absolutely not. There is a term, and I do not know what it is because I don't speak Oji-Cree, but the woman told me what the name for police was: “the ones who take our children”. They do not call the police, because there is not that trust. That is the shame of the colonial Canada that still results in six of our young people dying. Therefore in the time I have, I want to name some names so they are on the record.
There is Jethro Anderson from Kasabonika, who was 15 years old when they pulled him out of the McIntyre River in Thunder Bay in 2000. The police told his family that he was just out there partying like a native kid. They did not investigate how this 15-year-old kid, who had to leave his home to get an education because Kasabonika Lake does not bother to provide schools, was pulled out of the McIntyre River.
There is Curran Strang from Pikangikum, who was found in 2006 in the McIntyre River in Thunder Bay. Police said that it was accidental and just another native kid. On November 11, 2006, Paul Panacheese was pulled out of the McIntyre River in Thunder Bay. He was from Mishkeegogamong First Nation. Each time, Thunder Bay Police said it was just a native kid partying and it was an accident. As Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said, these are kids who grew up on the northern rivers; they know how to swim. Is it possible to believe that all these children died in a river because they did not know how to swim?
The police then pulled out 15-year-old Reggie Bushie's body from the McIntyre River. He was from Poplar Hill First Nation. Thunder Bay Police said it was just a native kid; it was just an accident, and he was partying. All these children had to come to Thunder Bay because the government would not give them schools and safe communities. They had to leave their families to go live in boarding houses when they were 13 years old. Kyle Morriseau was the grandson of the great Norval Morriseau. Kyle was apparently an incredible artist. The police pulled him out of the river and there was no further police investigation.
On February 7, 2011, Jordan Wabasse got off a city bus and was walking back to his boarding house. He was found in the river. There was no further investigation. They said he was just a native kid. He was from Webequie First Nation. Who found him? It was not the police; it was the community members who came down from Webequie and searched the river because they knew that was where they were going to find their boy. The cops said not to go to the river because they would not find him.
I also think of Tammy Keeash, who was found in the river in 2017, and within two weeks, so was Josiah Beggs, who was a 14-year-old who went to Thunder Bay for a medical appointment. In every single case, Thunder Bay Police said it was just a native kid partying; there is nothing to see here. Tammy Keeash, if I remember correctly from meeting her family, was found in the reeds in two or three feet of water. She was a strong swimmer, yet she drowned?
There have been major questions about the racism and the systemic racism, but it was a police force, and nobody was going to take on the police force. What does that say to indigenous communities anywhere? What does that say to indigenous people in my community about whether or not they should trust the police, when they know there were numerous requests for investigations into how those children were allowed to die, and nobody thought there was a serial killer.
I can tell members if there were seven blonde girls found in the McIntyre River, the police would turn the world upside down. I say that while thinking very carefully about what that means. I do not want to pit one group against another, but we need to address the systemic failures. Going forward, we need to address the need to keep communities safe at this time.
I am not trashing the police officers who are out trying to do their best and who are dealing with very complicated situations without the mental health supports they need. They are dealing with the PTSD of first responders. I know people who have seen first responders commit suicide, because when there is a child suicide or when there is a killing, they are the first ones in, especially in isolated communities. We need to talk about this, and the fact that we have brought this forward tonight is important.
However, I have been in a lot of these emergency debates. We had the emergency debate on the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat. We have had numerous emergency debates. The question is, are we going to do something about it? I want to thank my hon. colleague for raising the issue.
I want to say to victims' families and to everyone, from Colten Boushie's family, which we met, to everyone else who has lost a young one to violence, that, as a nation, we have to set a higher standard. That means making sure we put resources into protecting communities, into training for police, and into mental health supports to treat this holistically, and stop treating it as the colonial shock troops enforcing the treaties on behalf of the white power state.
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- Sep/16/24 7:13:03 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I am going to honour the families of the victims who were just killed. I ask that we make sure that we honour the memories of Jack Piche, Hoss Lightning-Saddleback, Tammy Bateman, Jason West, Daniel Knife and Steven “Iggy” Dedam.
What will the member advise her party to say to the families of these victims, whose lives were lost, who are in grief? What will this party say to the families of these people?
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- Sep/16/24 7:32:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, this is an important debate we are holding on the day the chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women has tabled our report, the fruit of the committee's work, to implement the red dress alert.
The report contains a total of 17 recommendations. Obviously, tonight's debate is not only about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Young men are also disappearing. This is therefore a broader conversation, but it is still related to the report and there are still 17 recommendations. Could we draw inspiration from it? Recommendation 9 talks about improving the relationship between indigenous communities and the police. We are talking about improving police forces' understanding of indigenous realities. One concrete measure presented is to provide support to victims to help them rebuild trust in the justice system and facilitate reporting.
How can we ensure that we use this important report and that it does not just end up on the shelf? Can it be considered in the context of this evening's debate?
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- Sep/16/24 8:04:53 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are gathered here today to discuss a matter that goes straight to the heart of our collective conscience, a subject that can no longer be ignored: When will there be comprehensive policing reform in Canada?
Over the past 12 days, the following individuals have met with a cruel fate. The tragic events of the past few weeks are a painful reminder of the crisis affecting our indigenous communities. We must remember the names and stories of those who have lost their lives. Jack Charles Piche, a 31-year-old from Clearwater River Dene Nation in Saskatchewan, was struck by an RCMP vehicle on August 29. Hoss Lightning, a 15-year-old teen from Samson Cree Nation in Alberta, was shot and killed by the RCMP during a confrontation on August 30. Tammy Bateman, 39 years old, was hit by a police car in Winnipeg on September 3. Jason West, 57 years old, was shot and killed in a confrontation with police in Windsor, Ontario, on September 6. Danny Knife, a 31-year-old from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, was shot and killed by Shellbrook RCMP on September 8. Steven “Iggy” Dedam, from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick, was shot and killed by the RCMP on September 8 during a wellness check.
We understand the importance of today's debate. I thank my colleague from the NDP for her leadership and for bringing this issue before the House. The families of indigenous youth killed by police have expressed tremendous distress over the tragedies experienced by their loved ones, as reported in an APTN News article entitled, “Families of Indigenous killed by Canadian police want answers”. These recent deaths highlight not only the persistence of police violence, but also the glaring gaps in accountability and oversight mechanisms that must absolutely be addressed. There is one incident after another, and outrage is growing across the country.
The recent deaths of these six individuals during interactions with the RCMP have had a profound impact on their families and communities. The tragic incidents have prompted widespread concern and calls for justice. The terrible events we are hearing about illustrate the urgent need for police services to be provided to indigenous communities. The breach of trust between the federal police and these communities will be long lasting. These deaths are not just isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of violence and injustice. They underscore the urgent need to reframe our approach to interactions between police and indigenous communities. These events highlight persistent problems in police interactions and the need for improved oversight and accountability.
The families and communities are demanding answers and justice for their loved ones. They are raising not only the ongoing crisis of police violence against indigenous people, but also pressing concerns about the effectiveness and fairness of police accountability mechanisms. What took place during these incidents, namely a police vehicle being used in an inappropriate context, the apparent lack of precautions to protect a vulnerable person and the resulting lack of accountability, suggest a situation that could be described as police brutality. The manner in which police acted in this situation often reflects broader patterns than the unjust treatment of individuals from these groups. We could call it systemic discrimination. These incidents are tragic examples of how police brutality can manifest itself against the most vulnerable individuals in our society.
We have heard that there is going to be an inquiry into what happened in the provinces where the deaths were found to have occurred. As in many similar cases, the families of the victims and the communities affected often express a deep sense of injustice due to the lack of charges or convictions against the police officers involved. Another aspect of these incidents is the impunity and lack of accountability at times like these, as if the events were swept under the rug. These incidents raise important questions about the justification for this use of force. Were the standards of police conduct breached?
The data consistently show that indigenous people are disproportionately affected by police violence.
Recently, the members of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs questioned the Minister of Public Safety and the deputy ministers of that department, including those responsible for indigenous relations. I was one of those members. The purpose of these questions was obviously to improve the system, but it was also to recognize that creating indigenous police services is essential.
A 2020 analysis showed that between 2017 and 2020, indigenous people were ten times more likely to be beaten or killed by police than their white counterparts. Indigenous people represent only 5.1% of the Canadian population, but they account for 16.2% of the deaths in incidents involving the police. This disparity reflects the broader patterns of discrimination and systemic inequalities.
The Auditor General also expressed numerous reservations about the direction the RCMP is currently taking in its relations with first nations communities. The communities often find themselves at an impasse in their negotiations with the different levels of government and often have to take their case before the courts.
The current system of oversight and accountability for police action is deeply flawed. Reports indicate that only a small fraction of the deaths involving the police lead to charges or convictions. Between 2000 and 2017, less than 4% of those cases led to charges and even fewer of them to convictions. What is more, the oversight organizations themselves are often flawed. Many of them are made up of former police officers, which can lead to conflicts of interest and lack of impartiality. Even when indigenous liaison positions exist, they are often found to be lacking, and critics say that those positions do not fully address the systemic nature of the problems and do not fully represent indigenous communities.
The outcry in indigenous communities reflects a growing demand for real and substantial change. In order to address these issues, we must not only reform the oversight mechanisms, but also tackle the root causes of systemic injustice. Ensuring that indigenous voices are heard and respected in this process is crucial to move toward a fairer and more just society.
If we focus on these areas, then there is hope that we can begin to resolve the deep-rooted problems of police violence and oversight and work toward a future where all communities are treated with dignity and fairness.
As far as the calls for change are concerned, the families and the communities affected by these tragedies are calling for answers and substantial reforms. These calls for action for the creation of an oversight committee made up of indigenous individuals and for the appointment of indigenous investigators are appropriate responses to the concerns raised. These measures seek to guarantee that investigations into police violence are conducted with cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of indigenous realities.
What is more, it is imperative to reduce police presence in vulnerable communities and to develop other solutions such as mental health support services, housing, and culturally adapted programs. These options offer solutions that are more humane and more respectful of the rights of individuals than coercive police methods.
I want to underscore the importance of declaring indigenous police services essential. We have repeatedly told the Minister of Public Safety to speed up implementation of these services. We know that if the calls to action in the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls were implemented, they would have a lasting effect and there would be fewer incidents.
Many of the recommendations are still relevant and can still serve to save lives. Call to action 32 states, and I quote, “Initiate negotiations with the federal government and Indigenous authorities to agree on a budgetary envelope for upgrading Indigenous police force wages, infrastructure and equipment.”
That was not done, and the socio-cultural gap shows that the approaches taken by indigenous police forces differ from the techniques used by the RCMP. We agree that the RCMP's policing techniques are still seriously flawed and lead to human tragedy.
Call to action 35 states, and I quote, “Undertake negotiations with the federal government and Indigenous authorities to ensure recurring and sustainable funding for all Indigenous policing.”
That call for action has not been fulfilled either, and yet everyone agrees that no one is better placed to interact with indigenous communities than indigenous police. Many communities across the country are constantly fighting for predictable long-term funding in many critical areas, such as infrastructure and drinking water. Imagine the situation for police services.
This is definitely a problem in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. I want to acknowledge the leadership of indigenous communities, particularly Kebaowek, and the leadership shown by Minister Lafrenière, a former police officer, who has reached out and expressed support for the creation of a regional indigenous police service in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. I see that as part of the solution.
The Long Point community in Winneway lost its police service roughly 20 years ago. We can see that crime has also increased on the reserve. Now the Sûreté du Québec has to serve the area. I do believe that there are times when a peer-led response would facilitate peaceful solutions to difficult situations.
The outcry in indigenous communities is a legitimate and necessary response to a systemic injustice and to police violence. To make society more equitable and just, we must address these problems proactively. Proposed reforms must be implemented with diligence and determination. We must ensure that indigenous voices are heard and respected in a process of justice and reform. We must also recognize traditional indigenous knowledge and consider how restorative justice is traditionally used by indigenous communities. I think this is something that deserves more attention. By focusing on these areas, we can hopefully begin to resolve the deeply rooted problems and work toward a future where all communities are treated with dignity and equity.
Justice for Tammy Bateman, Jack Charles Piche, Hoss Lightning, Jason West, Danny Knife and Steven Dedam is essential not only for their families, but for society as a whole, because everyone deserves to live in a community where justice and respect for human dignity are the foundations of our co-existence.
The time has come to act with courage and compassion to ensure that these tragedies never happen again. We have a collective responsibility to reform our system, to ensure impartial investigations and to build a society where every life is precious and every voice is heard. In my opinion, a nationwide inquiry, modelled on the Viens commission, would have offered a glimpse into how the RCMP and other police forces operate in order to implement changes. These events are no different from the many other incidents reported over the past few years where indigenous chiefs were assaulted.
The time for commissions and reports is over. Now is the time for action. In the interest of dialogue with first nations, action is essential. We have to move on to action. I would also remind my colleagues on all sides of the House that a report issued by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples identified flaws in Canada's justice system almost 30 years ago, back in 1992.
I am therefore calling on the government to move from words to action, based on what was done in Quebec, especially by the Viens commission. The Viens commission's report, published in 2019, shed light on years of systemic discrimination against indigenous groups.
In addition, the inquiry called for a public apology from the government for all the harm done over time. In October 2019, Premier François Legault officially apologized on behalf of the Government of Quebec for these serious violations. I would expect the same from the Prime Minister of Canada in a similar context. Commissioner Viens' final report included 142 recommendations for improving relations with and services for indigenous communities.
Key recommendations include the public apology that François Legault delivered in 2019 and the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Although it did not fully enshrine it into law, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion on October 8, 2019, recognizing the main principles of the declaration. I must say that the House of Commons has also taken a big step in that direction. However, we must also build on changes in organizational culture. Major public service networks must change their culture to better respond to the realities of first nations and Inuit communities.
Improving services is another important aspect. Services for indigenous people need to be improved and enhanced, especially in the areas of health, social services, youth protection and education.
These are basic services for which the federal government has a fundamental responsibility to provide stable, long-term funding.
More funding is also needed. The government needs to increase funding for indigenous services to ensure their quality and sustainability. Too often, “sustainability” is a keyword that is overlooked when it comes to relations with first nations. Budgets are set for just one or two years, and it is very difficult for indigenous communities to have predictability, particularly when it comes to fundamental issues like housing. The government provides funding so that a community can build one or two housing units, when we know these populations are experiencing a high level of growth. The indigenous population is growing much more quickly than that of cities and towns across Quebec and Canada. The government needs to pay attention to that and invest accordingly.
When we talk about crime and the impacts of violence, perhaps we need to first think about the issue of housing. If everyone had access to a place where they could live in dignity and fully relax, if everyone had a place of their own, a basic need that is at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy, then perhaps there would be fewer situations requiring police intervention, and perhaps we would see fewer tragic events like the ones that occurred recently.
The Viens commission also suggested raising public awareness of the realities and issues facing indigenous communities. I want to mention that the Bloc Québécois has always expressed concern about how slowly the recommendations of the two commissions, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or NIMMIWG, and the Viens commission, are being followed up. Urgent reforms have not been implemented and, as a result, incidents of police brutality are on the rise. As the events of the past two weeks show, this situation has impeded ongoing investigations into these incidents. All the same, we can still speak out against the brutal treatment that has been meted out. That, I think, is one objective of this evening's emergency debate.
Our goal is not to question the work of police officers in general, but I think it is worth giving it some thought. I think the goal is to maintain a higher level of confidence in our police systems, which is essential for any society to live in harmony. One way to do that is to recognize indigenous police forces as essential. I think urgent action is needed on this. It would be great if indigenous communities could develop their own justice systems, education systems and health care systems and if they could build housing with funding for projects “by and for” indigenous communities. It would be great if indigenous expertise, traditional knowledge and community leadership were recognized. If that were the case, I think there would be fewer tragedies.
One major factor this will involve is trust in a people's right to self-determination. This will go a long way towards preventing additional tragedies like the ones that have occurred over the past two weeks.
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- Sep/16/24 9:31:37 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the speech that my colleague from Ontario gave, and I thank him for the significant amount of work he has done with indigenous leaders and communities across this country.
I am wondering if he could share with this House some examples, even sometimes born out of the ashes of tragedy, where spaces or opportunities for reconciliation have come about and indigenous communities have seen relationships restored. Are there instances with indigenous police where productive relationships are built and where high-quality policing is able to support victims? I know that my colleague has had many conversations, both tough ones and a number of encouraging ones, on that.
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