After N.B. police killing of Indigenous woman, chiefs demand systemic racism inquiry
The results of the recent coroner's inquest into the police killing of an Indigenous woman in New Brunswick demonstrate the urgent need for an Indigenous-led inquiry into systemic racism, according to the six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation.
The findings and recommendations of the coroner's jury didn't address the serious nature of the tragedy or the systemic issues embedded in the justice system, the chiefs, who represent First Nations in New Brunswick, said in a news release issued Thursday. The jurors' recommendations included the need for a review of the police's use-of-force policy.
Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman, was fatally shot by police in Edmundston, N.B., in June 2020 during a wellness check after she advanced toward an officer with a knife in her hand.
"This traumatic inquest, which the Moore family attended faithfully, didn't give them standing to participate," Chief Ross Perley of the Tobique First Nation said. "It has no power to get at the root causes of failures in the justice system that continue to leave our community members at risk."
Chief Allan Polchies of the St. Mary's First Nation says an inquiry would provide more accountability for Moore's death.
"Systemic racism is real here in this province of New Brunswick," Polchies told reporters Thursday. "We need action. We need justice. We need justice for every single person."
New Brunswick's Public Prosecutions Services announced in June 2021 that the evidence in the case indicated the officer was responding to a potential lethal threat from Moore and his actions were reasonable.
The three-woman, two-man coroner's jury issued a series of recommendations Thursday, including that an independent group review the use-of-force policy that guides New Brunswick police to ensure it is concise and understood by all officers in the province.
Jurors also recognized that mistrust exists among First Nations people regarding the police.
"The police could undertake actions to build better relationships within the community," the jury wrote. "For example: people taking cultural sensitivity training and having a liaison from the First Nations community that aids the police in providing care to their community members."
New Brunswick's systemic racism commissioner, Manju Varma, is currently conducting a review into institutional racism in the province and is expected to release her report in September.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.