‘We are seen as disposable’
Demonstrators at Churchill Square demand justice for Fontaine, Boushie
“No more stolen sisters” was the rallying cry at a demonstration Sunday demanding justice for Indigenous victims of violence.
More than 200 people gathered in Churchill Square before marching downtown, brandishing signs that read “justice for Tina and Colten” and “justice denied.”
“There’s a common bond between us and that is that any one of us, including me, could have been a statistic,” said Indigenous activist Muriel Stanley Venne to the crowd.
On Thursday, a Winnipeg jury found Raymond Cormier not guilty in the killing of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine. Earlier this month, Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley was also found not guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, 22. The two acquittals sparked outrage in Indigenous communities.
Jade Tootoosis, Boushie’s cousin, said Sunday that Indigenous youth need to stand strong.
“To all the Indigenous youth across Turtle Island, you are not criminals, you are loved ... you are smart, you are resilient,” she told the crowd after extending her condolences to the Fontaine family. “We know your pain all too well.”
Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan addressed the rally, stressing that he wants to take direction from Indigenous elders and community members to forge a path forward.
“We really hope you’ll be part of that with your vigilance, your determination and your wisdom,” he said.
Priscilla Cardinal, 49, of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, attended the rally and said she was shocked by the two recent verdicts.
“I believe this is going to start an uprising,” she said in an interview. “It gives me a sense of hope.”
Indigenous communities need the support of non-Indigenous Canadians in their fight, said Stephanie Harpe, spokeswoman for the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women.
“It’s not right that we have to beg for basic human rights and this is Canada,” she said in an interview. “We are crushed that we are seen as disposable.”