Wolastoqey and Mi’kmaq chiefs in New Brunswick are renewing calls for an inquiry into systemic racism, particularly in the justice system.
It comes after an RCMP officer fatally shot a man in Elsipogtog First Nation during a weekend wellness check.
Police have said the man was carrying a weapon and refused to comply with officers. Another officer fired their taser before the shooting, but investigators said it was ineffective.
“We are concerned any time interactions between Indigenous people and law enforcement end in violence and/or death, as these instances happen too frequently,” the six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation said in a news release.
Chantel Moore was shot and killed by an Edmundston Police Force officer during a wellness check in June 2020.
Eight days later, in the community of Metepenagiag First Nation, Rodney Levi was shot and killed by an RCMP officer.
“Our communities need justice that heals, not inflames, relationships between First Nations and law
enforcement,” said the Wolastoqey chiefs.
They also want Indigenous representation on the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) for investigations involving Indigenous people.
SiRT has been called in to investigate the fatal shooting, as they do with all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault, intimate partner violence or other issues of public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer.
The Wolastoqey chiefs also want officials to provide regular updates, community meetings, connection with First Nations leadership and “quick action focused on healing and restoration relationships.”
