‘I hope to get justice’
National inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls begins in Membertou today
Tears ran down Tricia Johnson’s face as she spoke of her sister Cheryl Ann’s death in 2001 at age 23.
Johnson said she has suspicions about details surrounding her sister’s death and why police closed the case in two days.
“They said it was accidental. Her pants were down. Her bra was pulled up over her,” Johnson, 36, said.
“I just couldn’t believe it. There was no rape kit done. No investigation.”
Johnson’s family is from Eskasoni. A mother of six and pregnant with her seventh child, she is scheduled to testify at the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, which takes place in Membertou from today until Wednesday.
“It means a lot, just to have her story heard,” Johnson said during the opening ceremonies for the inquiry, put on by the Mi’kmaw Women Leaders Network.
“I don’t know what’s to come. I hope to get justice. I hope to get her story heard. I hope to get her case reopened.”
The Mi’kmaw Women Leaders Network started planning the opening ceremonies a year ago to ensure the events followed traditional Mi’kmaq protocol.
These protocols dictate people need to be invited to Mi’kmaq territory before they do their work or carry out their own traditions.
The network will stay for the duration of the inquiry, providing support and food for family members who have come to testify, families who have lost loved ones but aren’t testifying, and people who have come to show support.
The full day of events took place Sunday, starting with a sunrise ceremony and lighting of the sacred fire.
After that was a symbolic canoe ride in Sydney harbour along Kings Road, at the original site of Membertou.
A walk, with drumming and singing, followed. Women, girls and men held banners and pictures of Indigenous women who have been murdered or are missing.
The opening ceremonies ended with the grand entry of some family members who are testifying at the inquiry and a feast.
Smiles and tears were seen through out the day as people from across Canada participated in the events.
There were also people there who had lost a male family member, like Mona Bernard.
The Whycocomagh mother of six lost her son, Carl, in 2008 when he was 19. Like Johnson, Bernard has suspicions about her son’s death and hopes to get his case reopened.
“When I lost my son I was broken. Really broken. And I knew he needed some justice. I knew it wasn’t right,” she said.
“I still never got any answers. But I will. I know I will. That’s all I want, for somebody to tell me the truth — not their version of the truth. The real truth is what I want.”
Although she isn’t testifying, Bernard plans on staying for the three days of the inquiry to be there for family members who are.
“For all the other women, children, mothers, grandmothers, the people who have
to go through this — that is who I am doing this for. And I believe really strongly in this,” she said.
“I wouldn’t want anybody to go through what I’ve been through. My family has been
through a lot.”
Johnson doesn’t care that she cries when telling Cheryl Ann’s story and plans on telling it until she gets answers that make sense to her and her family.
“I need the inquiry to reopen her case. I can’t do it alone. I have investigated myself and I’ve gotten as far as I can go,” she said.
“I want everybody to have their answers. I want everybody
to heal because it’s all about healing and love. If we all stick together… one day, their spirits will rest. That’s all I can say.”