'It has to stop': Canada's Aboriginal Peoples on deaths of Indigenous folks in police custody
The over-representation of Indigenous people in Canada's justice system and the number of deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police has the vice-chief of national Indigenous organization up in arms.
“85 percent of all inmates in provincial custody from Ontario west are Indigenous,” Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) national vice-Chief Kim Beaudin said. “It feels at times like Indigenous people are being targeted by police. We call Saskatchewan `the Alabama of the north,' and the authorities here haven't given us any reason to conclude otherwise.
“Systemic racism, discrimination and prejudice among police forces is not just an American problem,” Beaudin said.“The cases of Pacey Dumas (Edmonton), Chris Amyotte (Vancouver), William Favel (Saskatoon), and Chantel Moore (Edmundston) are just a few examples of police brutality and death here in Canada.”
According to a recent Statistics Canada report, Indigenous people were twice more likely than non-Indigenous people to have little or no confidence in their local police service, Beaudin said.
The differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this regard were greatest in Saskatchewan and in the territories.
Several police forces, including the Vancouver Police Department and Edmonton Police Service have refused to address this latest tragedy, and continue business as usual, CAP said in a statement. On Tuesday, Beaudin said Indigenous people are often targeted, followed and harassed unnecessarily by police.
“It happens all the time! Police will see an Indigenous person walking down the street and follow them, find a reason to hassle them, and often, what happens next is an escalation of that harassment,” he said.
Indigenous Peoples' have long been over-represented in Canada's justice system and police forces must take responsibility for their role in this injustice, said CAP's national Chief.
“Police brutality is rooted in racism and discrimination, regardless of whether it's in the United States or Canada,” said National Chief Elmer St. Pierre. “Leaders must ensure police officers are given cultural training and taught to de-escalate situations rather than turning to violence.”
Beaudin said any deaths at the hands of police is a tragedy, but when this many Indigenous people are dying - despite representing 10 percent of Canada's population - it's part of disturbing trend.
“It has to stop. And it has to stop now,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.