Chiefs demand swift government action to prevent further violence and restore community safety after RCMP shooting
In the wake of a number of tragic Indigenous deaths by police, the Wolastoqey Chiefs are advancing their demands for a Wolastoqey-led alternative to traditional policing and a public inquiry.
“Our citizens are angry, confused, and grieving. How can we expect them to trust colonial justice systems when officers have consistently failed to treat our friends, neighbours, and family members fairly and equitably? Our people have a real fear of serious harm or death at the hands of RCMP and local law enforcement officers,” said Chief Ross Perley of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation).
The chiefs have called on their provincial and federal counterparts to make immediate changes to policing services in their communities.
A longstanding priority for members of the community is to establish a Wolastoqey police force, guided by Wolastoqey values and entirely run by Wolastoqey communities, for Wolastoqey communities. With such community-based policing, the Wolastoqey Nation can provide culturally relevant services and keep its members safe. Immediate steps must be taken to make this a priority and a reality.
The chiefs say that, until a Wolastoqey Police Force is fully funded and operating on the ground, they seek to establish a Peacekeeper Initiative as an interim measure.
Peacekeepers would be community-based first responders, focused on early prevention and de-escalation, by referring people to relevant services. By assisting with tasks such as wellness checks, community patrols, and incident reports, Peacekeepers could help build relationships between current police forces and community members.
“Wolastoqey-led policing initiatives will emphasize community trust, safety, and connecting people to the services they need,” said Chief Allan Polchies of Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation).
“We have been in conversations with the province and federal government on establishing these initiatives and we have asked that it be prioritized in light of recent incidents.”
Indigenous-led policing initiatives have been successful in numerous communities across Canada. In some cases, it has led to lower rates of police-related deaths, violence, arrests, charges, and incarceration.
Even as the chiefs take steps to reassert control over policing, it is important to have accountability for the lethal police shootings of Indigenous people in this province. Previous investigations into these deaths are limited in scope and have done little to address the broader systemic issues of how race and colonialism impact policing of Indigenous people.
The chiefs continue to push for a public inquiry to help us prevent such needless use of violence and death in the future.
“We need to work together to restore the broken trust in our communities,” said Perley and Polchies.
Following the shooting death of Bronson Paul by the RCMP on Jan. 18 in Neqotkuk, community members and leadership are angry, scared and frustrated, and trust in the RCMP has deteriorated. Bronson was shot dead in his home by RCMP officers. Witnesses say he was shot five times, with his children and their mother in the next room.
Neqotkuk Chief Ross Perley referred to the actions by the RCMP as “careless and reckless.”
“The RCMP have a history of defending their own members and not being accountable or giving fair punishment for their actions. There is a systemic issue that is allowing them to kill Indigenous people too frequently,” said Chief Perley.
“This needs to be acknowledged not swept under the rug, and serious systemic change needs to happen within the RCMP from top to bottom.”
Neqotkuk leaders contend that SiRT is not as independent as described, saying they have discovered that the organization has seconded RCMP officers to its team. They also have issues with the organization’s structure.
Neqotkuk community members say they need safe, trustworthy community policing, adding that trust has been completely lost and will likely never be regained under the status quo.
They fear more violence, conflict and more dead Indigenous people in the future if things don’t change.
