‘Something needs to be done’
We’koqma’q leaders release letter condemning death of Chantel Moore at hands of police
WE'KOQMA'Q — We'koqma'q First Nation leaders are condemning the actions of the Edmundston, N.B. police that led to the death of Chantel Moore.
“When we heard the news we were horrified," said Chief Rod Googoo of We'koqma'q First Nation located in Inverness County.
In an open letter released last weekend, We'koqma'q leadership condemned the incident and requested an inquiry into the case.
Moore was a Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation woman who recently moved to New Brunswick. The 26-year-old was a young mother who was shot and killed by an Edmundston police officer on June 5, during a wellness check. Moore is said to have been holding a knife and the police report the officer discharged a weapon for their own safety.
An independent police watchdog organization from Quebec has been called in to review the case.
Googoo is adamant that excessive force was used and questions why the young woman wasn't subdued in a nonlethal way. The behaviour of Insp. Steve Robinson during a press conference also drew the ire of Googoo as Robinson can be seen smirking when asked for further comment about the case. Robinson has since apologized but Googoo says more disciplinary action needs to be taken.
“The face we saw from the Edmundston law enforcement, is the face of Canada when dealing with native issues,” said Googoo.
He wants to see a complete overhaul of the judicial system and hopes the letter inspires more Indigenous leadership to stand up and speak out. “Something needs to be done, too many people are dying in the justice system,” said Googoo.
Annie Bernard-Daisley, a band councillor with We'koqma'q First Nation and the president of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, agrees fundamental changes need to happen. She says the problems are systemic and stretch back as far as the beginning of colonization.
“I was very angry and very hurt that it still continues to happen in this day and age,” said Bernard-Daisley.
She thinks the first course of action is fully implementing the 231 calls to justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women inquiry and subsequent report released last year.
She hopes police agencies recruit more Indigenous people, adding this specific case shows a lack of empathy for Indigenous people.
“They have a blatant disregard for us as Indigenous people in this country,” said BernardDaisley.
Both she and Googoo say this is just the latest in a string of incidents involving unfair treatment of Indigenous people in the judicial system — from the historical cases of Colten Boushie and Brady Francis to the overrepresentation of incarcerated Indigenous people — and they hope to see fundamental changes.
Googoo also wants Moore's family to know they're not alone.
“We're going to support them anyway that we can,” said Googoo.