Since 2020, four Indigenous people have been killed by police in New Brunswick. Our communities are grieving and outraged after tragic and heartbreaking losses. We grieve the lives lost and hold the families, especially the children, close in our hearts.
We mourn them:
Chantel Moore of Tla-o-qui-aht (Edmonston | June, 2020)
Rodney Levi of Metepenagiag (Red Bank | June, 2020)
Steven “Iggy” Dedam of Elsipogtog (Elsipogtog First Nation | September, 2024)
Bronson Paul of Neqotkuk (Neqotkuk First Nation | January, 2026)
While neither Canada nor New Brunswick maintains publicly available tracking of police-related killings, our records show that, since 2020, there have been at least six incidents of law enforcement using lethal force in New Brunswick. In four of those instances, the victims were Indigenous.
Everyone must recognize this is a deep-seated issue and call it what it is: systemic racism leading to disproportionate and unnecessary deaths of Indigenous people.
To our community members: This is a deeply painful time. It is okay to feel grief, anger, confusion, and sorrow. These feelings reflect how deeply we care for one another. Let us be gentle, check in on one another, and support each other in the days ahead. Wampum Critical Incident Stress Management has been activated in Neqotkuk. The sacred fire has been lit at the Paul Pyres for those who wish to offer prayers to the family or speak with someone. We offer our deepest condolences to all those affected.
To federal and provincial officials in the justice system: Our communities need justice and action that heals, not inflames, relationships between First Nations and institutional law enforcement. This includes transparent investigations into specific incidents and the underlying systems which lead to elevated risks for Indigenous people. Justice is represented as blind in Canada, yet it seems far from impartial given the data.
We, again, assert that investigations into incidents involving Indigenous people, must include Indigenous representation on the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) and transparency in the process. We demand that the SiRT implement these fundamental acts of reconciliation.
The RCMP, local police forces, politicians and governments, and justice systems must be actively anti racist and acknowledge that these repeated instances erode the dwindling trust our people have in justice institutions. We will continue to call for community-based policing in Wolastoqey communities and will be reaching out to relevant provincial and federal authorities to advance this at pace in the coming days.
We demand that leaders, elected and appointed, acknowledge the pattern of systemic racism within their forces and do the hard work to eliminate it from their institutions. We demand regular updates on these efforts, community meetings aimed at listening and healing, meaningful connection with First Nations leadership, and quick action focused on restoring the safety and security of our people.
The statistics of Indigenous people being killed by police in New Brunswick mentioned above are alarming and exceed even the national trends. Overall, from 2011-2022, the number of police-involved deaths in Canada increased by 66.5 per cent over the previous decade and 16.2 per cent of people killed were Indigenous, while 5.1 per cent of people living in Canada are Indigenous, according to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. This trend corroborates the existence of a nation-wide problem; one which those in positions of power must address.
Our Chiefs will continue to speak out against systemic racism within the justice system. It has been too long and there have been too many lives lost. We need meaningful, respectful, and immediate action to heal, restore, and eliminate systemic racism from all facets of our society.
For media inquiries:
WNNB Communications
media@wolastoqey.ca