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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.