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
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.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
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.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.