First Nations leaders demand national inquiry into ‘epidemic’ of deaths by police
Edith Wells got the call on Sept. 17, 2024 at 9:34.
It was a call she’ll never forget, a call no parent ever wants to receive — the one informing her that her son, 42-year-old Jon Wells, was never coming home.
“It’s only been two months since the passing of my son,” Wells told a news conference held Wednesday by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).
“And justice needs to be done.”
Wells is one of two mothers who joined First Nations leaders in Ottawa this week to demand a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing to address what they’re calling an “inter-related epidemic” of violence and death.
An emergency resolution calling for the inquiry was high on the agenda Tuesday as AFN chiefs and proxies met on day one of the national advocacy organization’s annual winter meeting.
The resolution cited the recent deaths of 10 First Nations people following interactions with police from August to November 2024, a span of some six months.
Jon Wells, a member of the Blood Tribe in Alberta, died following an interaction with municipal police in Calgary.
“He was a loving person,” his mother told the news conference.
“He was a kind, gentle, compassionate person. He had a lot of goals for himself. His life was taken too short.”
The deaths are under investigation by oversight bodies in multiple jurisdictions, but the resolution says these reviews “are being conducted in isolation of each other, which is not drawing conclusions as one inter-related epidemic.”
“We cannot accept the fact that police would investigate police,” said Ghislain Picard, the assembly’s regional chief for Quebec-Labrador.
“That’s just a no-go.”
Martha Martin’s daughter Chantel Moore was shot and killed by a municipal police officer during a wellness check in Edmundston, N.B., in 2020. Martin’s son died in police custody five months later.
“This fight for justice has been a long four years,” she told the news conference, adding her voice to the call for action.
“We stand here to say we’ve had enough. It is time for change now. No more recommendations. It’s time for action.”
The assembly is urging Canada to convene an inquiry mandated to investigate police-related deaths and other serious incidents, with the objective of ending discrimination and racism in policing.
The AFN resolution says 25 First Nations people died after interactions with police between 2017 and 2020.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has made policing and public safety a priority since her election last year. With a federal election slated for 2025, she is looking for cross-party support.
“Absolutely, all parties should support the national inquiry, and I call upon each and every one of them [to support it],” Woodhouse Nepinak said.
A recent decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, which chastised Canada and Quebec for underfunding a First Nation’s police service in the province, is only adding fuel to the push for better services in communities.
First Nations police forces in Ontario have also taken to the courts to fight for equal funding, a fight that could get a boost from the high court’s ruling.
The federal government’s underfunding of these services resulted in communities declaring states of emergency, said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige, who called it another form of systemic racism.
In a news release, the assembly said necessary and overdue reforms include mandatory de-escalation training, implementation of national crisis intervention teams and new policies like banning choke holds.
“We need oversight, national standards, and crisis intervention measures to protect our communities and prevent further tragedies,” said B.C. Regional Chief Terry Teegee in the release.
The 10 people who died in recent months are Jack Piché, 31; Hoss Lightning Saddleback, 15; Tammy Bateman, 39, Jason West, 57; Daniel Knife, 31; Steven Dedam, 34; Ronald Skunk, 59; Jon Wells, 42; Joseph Desjarlais, 34; and Elgyn Muskego, 17, according to the AFN resolution.
The meeting continues, with major resolutions on reforming the child welfare system still to be debated.
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