Who Do We Call When We Need Help?
6 Indigenous people have been killed by the police across Canada in 11 Days
Jack Charles Piche
Hoss Lightning
Tammy Bateman
Jason West
Danny Knife
Steven “Iggy” Dedam
Jack Charles Piche Hoss Lightning Tammy Bateman Jason West Danny Knife Steven “Iggy” Dedam
I was approached by CityNews to share some thoughts on what has happened across Canada in recent weeks, you can see a version of my thoughts I shared with them here. I wanted to share my grief, pose some questions and highlight examples of how Indigenous knowledge can help create safety for everyone. I will share links below to the original article where perspectives from the uncle of Steven “Iggy” is shared - it is heartbreaking to read. I will also share some links to where I posted these thoughts on my social media channels; I received some thoughtful and encouraging responses.
It’s hard to ignore the patterns that are being loudly painted across every headline almost every day since August 29th. It’s hard for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in this country to answer the question "who do we call when we need help?" Because we certainly can’t call police or RCMP.
I feel like the evidence speaks for itself. How many people have called the RCMP and the police for help since the 29th of August and received actual support, help or at the very least have not been killed because of it?
What are our relatives are asking for when they call for the police? They’re asking for mental health support, for housing, for safety, for understanding; they’re getting none of those things. The answers are not complicated.
When we see groups and organizations like Mama Bear Clan Patrol, Bear Clan Patrol, Sabe Peace Walkers (these ones are just local in Winnipeg here, there are so many across the country) Indigenous groups using their teachings and culture to try to create safety. Connections between policing, justice, mental and physical health and homelessness need to be examined across Canada to address root causes of why Indigenous people are so over-represented in those areas.
When Indigenous-led and de-escalation-led safety practices are applied in situations where folks are heated or escalated (in the projects that I’m connected to) sometimes in 80 to 90% of those cases, those escalated individuals end up calming down. Why? Because they’re humanized, respected, referred to an appropriate resource and they are NOT shot and killed when they’re asking for support.
A re-examination needs to happen in jurisdictions across Canada, to address lethal use of force policies and traffic and transportation policies — for a start.
What are we going to do about the fact that those that investigate police killings some years will find them, in 100 per cent of the cases to be entirely no fault of of the police yet Indigenous families are still left behind with our relatives dead, gone and only questions remaining.
All of my teachings tell me that yes, there is a way for us as Indigenous people with Indigenous knowledge to engage and work with a mainstream system to try to make it better; to create safety, not just for Indigenous people, but for everybody.
Thank you to Joanne Roberts, CityNews Winnipeg & CityNews (national) for amplifying this important news story.
