WOLASTOQEY HOMELAND – In the wake of the disproportionate number of tragic Indigenous deaths at the hands of the police, the Wolastoqey Chiefs are advancing their demands for a Wolastoqey-led alternative to traditional policing and a public inquiry.
“Our citizens are angry, confused, and grieving. How can we expect them to trust colonial justice systems when officers have consistently failed to treat our friends, neighbours, and family members fairly and equitably? Our people have a real fear of serious harm or death at the hands of RCMP and local law enforcement officers,” said Chief Ross Perley of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation). “The system is not working for us.”
The Chiefs have called on provincial and federal counterparts for immediate changes to policing services in our communities. A longstanding priority is to set up a Wolastoqey police force, guided by Wolastoqey values, and entirely run by Wolastoqey communities, for Wolastoqey communities. With such community-based policing, the Wolastoqey Nation can provide culturally relevant services and keep its members safe. Immediate steps need to be taken to make this priority a reality.
Until this Wolastoqey police force is fully funded and operating on the ground, the Chiefs seek to establish a Peacekeeper Initiative as an interim measure. Peacekeepers would be community-based first responders, focused on early prevention and de-escalation, by referring people to relevant services. Through assisting with things like wellness checks, community patrols, and occurrences reports, Peacekeepers can help build relationships between current police forces and community members.
“Wolastoqey-led policing initiatives will emphasize community trust, safety, and connecting people to the services they need,” said Chief Allan Polchies of Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation). “We have been in conversations with the province and federal government on establishing these initiatives and we have asked that it be prioritized in light of recent incidents.”
Indigenous-led policing initiatives have been successful in numerous communities across Canada. It can lead to lower rates of police-related deaths, violence, arrests, charges, and incarceration.
Even as the Chiefs take steps to reassert control over policing, it is important to have accountability for the lethal police shootings of Indigenous people in this province. Previous investigations into these deaths are limited in scope and have done little to address the broader systemic issues of how race and colonialism impact policing of Indigenous people. The Chiefs continue to push for a public inquiry to help us prevent such needless use of violence and death in the future.
“We need to work together to restore the broken trust in our communities,” said Ross and Polchies.
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