Current Problems: Justice (25-42)

Exploring Theme: "Systemic Racism in RCMP"

Updates on this page: 74
 

March 7, 2024


Vancouver police, First Nation ties have ‘broken down’ since settlement: review

By The Canadian Press Maxwell Johnson (right), with his granddaughter, was accused of fraud and handcuffed outside a Vancouver branch of the Bank of Montreal after using his status card as identification. Photo: APTN file  APTN News: The Canadian Press – Vancouver’s police board and the Heiltsuk Nation both say they are committed to working together...

March 6, 2024


RCMP says body-worn cameras going ahead after Nunavut pilot project

The RCMP are proceeding with plans to equip officers in Nunavut with body-worn cameras despite low buy-in from the public. An RCMP officer shows a body-worn camera. Photo: RCMP  APTN News: The RCMP are proceeding with plans to equip officers in Nunavut with body-worn cameras despite low buy-in from the public and Inuit, in particular....

February 1, 2024


No Justice Yet for Women Who Accused Prince George RCMP Officers of Assault

Nearly a year after BC announced an independent investigation, whistleblowers and complainants say they’ve heard nothing. Amanda Follett Hosgood TodayThe Tyee Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett. [Editor’s note: This piece contains descriptions of police violence and sexual violence.] The Tyee: Nearly a year...

January 19, 2024


Laughed about Beating a Land Defender

C-IRG’s silver commander apologized for the comments while testifying during a BC Supreme Court hearing. The Tyee: It was about 7 a.m. on his very first day with the RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group when Supt. James Elliott received a call letting him know the Morice Forest Service Road had again been blocked as part of...

January 18, 2024


RCMP officers mocked people being arrested at Wet’suwet’en blockade as ‘orcs’ and ‘ogre’

Audio recordings played in court during abuse of process hearing Posted: Jan 17, 2024 7:52 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago Warning: this story contains distressing details. CBC News: RCMP officers referred to First Nations pipeline opponents as “orcs” and “ogre” during a police raid at a blockade of Coastal GasLink pipeline construction in November...

January 8, 2024


‘No other way’: Former Anishinaabe Mountie playing a role in Winnipeg landfill search

By Tamara Pimentel Jan 08, 2024 APTN News: At one time, Margorie Hudson was in RCMP advertisements in Manitoba to recruit Indigenous people into the Mounties. She was the first First Nations woman to serve in the RCMP in the province. “I loved wearing my uniform, I was proud to wear my uniform, but it was...

December 14, 2023


Supreme Court denies Canada’s appeal of class action certification against RCMP

Inuvialuit family calling Supreme Court decision on class action appeal a win. Joe David Nasogaluak is the lead plaintiff in a class action against the RCMP. Photo courtesy of the family.  APTN News: The Supreme Court of Canada turned down a request from the federal government to appeal the certification of a class action lawsuit...

December 11, 2023


Amnesty International reports ‘ongoing violations’ of human rights on Wet’suwet’en territory

Group calls for halt to Coastal GasLink pipeline construction and use following 2023 research mission CBC Indigenous: Amnesty International is calling for an immediate halt to construction and use of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the withdrawal of police and private security forces from Wet’suwet’en territory in northern B.C., citing what it considers ongoing human rights violations against...

December 7, 2023


RCMP under investigation after Indigenous woman’s body found within a kilometre of where she went missing

Body found almost a month after disappearance; IIO to determine if RCMP action, inaction contributed to death CBC News: British Columbia’s police oversight agency is determining whether police action or inaction contributed to the death of a woman from the Saik’uz First Nation, after it said her body was found on Nov. 5 within a kilometre of where she was last...

December 5, 2023


‘Spend as Much Lifting Our People Up as Pushing Them Down’

Adam Olsen is calling on BC to protect Indigenous people as thoroughly as it polices their opposition to resource development. The Tyee: BC Green Party MLA Adam Olsen is calling on B.C.’s minister of public safety to form a special policing unit dedicated to investigating the suspicious deaths and disappearances of First Nations people in...

November 24, 2023


‘Significant delays’ will impact completion of RCMP C-IRG probe, review agency says

Civilian Review and Complaints Commission says significant amount of material remains outstandin CBC Indigenous: The RCMP’s federal review agency says “significant delays” in obtaining relevant material from the Mounties will impact its investigation into the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit created to police civil disobedience against pipelines in British Columbia. The Civilian Review...

November 24, 2023


Alternative exists to RCMP investigating historical claims of abuse, tribunal hears

Survivors in B.C. want an alternative to the RCMP when it comes to investigating claims of child abuse from residential and day schools. Former Immaculata Day School in Burns Lake, B.C. Photo: APTN file  APTN News: A human rights tribunal heard Friday an alternative exists to RCMP in British Columbia investigating historical abuse complaints from...

November 4, 2023


RCMP rejects majority of complaints it’s reviewed against B.C. unit that polices resource protests

86% of complaints reviewed so far from Fairy Creek protests have been dismissed by the force NationTalk: CBC News – Catherine McClarty still has nightmares about her arrest two years ago during an anti-logging protest on Vancouver Island and her experience with a controversial RCMP unit that’s been accused of improper use of force, neglect...

November 3, 2023


Saik’uz First Nation calls for help after 2 people disappear in matter of months

Jay Raphael and Chelsey Quaw have both gone missing from a small community along Highway of Tears CBC News: First Nations leaders are calling on the RCMP, media and the public to do more to help find two people who have gone missing from the Saik’uz First Nation over the past year. Jay Preston Raphael, 28, and Chelsey Amanda Quaw...

August 23, 2023


BC RCMP Officer Facing Manslaughter Trial Charged with Assault

Cst. Paul Ste-Marie, accused in the death of Dale Culver, has been moved to administrative duties.  The Tyee: A Prince George RCMP officer is undergoing a code of conduct investigation after he was charged with assault this week — his second criminal charge this year.  In February, Cst. Paul Ste-Marie was charged with manslaughter in the 2017 death...

August 14, 2023


RCMP watchdog concerned with delays in B.C. C-IRG probe

Civilian Review and Complaints Commission also announces hiring of Indigenous-led law firm in email update CBC News: The RCMP’s federal review agency recently hired an Indigenous-led law firm as concerns grow about delays in its probe of the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit created to police civil disobedience against pipelines in British Columbia. The watchdog, created to ensure complaints...

August 8, 2023


Former Saskatchewan RCMP boss warned officers to watch opinions after Stanley verdict

Colten Boushie in an undated photo.  APTN News: The Canadian Press: The RCMP braced for backlash across rural Saskatchewan and kept a close eye on First Nations groups after the not-guilty verdict of a farmer charged in the death of Colten Boushie, emails show. The former top Mountie in the province also warned officers to watch their opinions,...

August 3, 2023


RCMP cited Standing Rock protests as ‘evidence’ to create controversial B.C. unit

Internal documents shine new light on founding of Community-Industry Response Group CBC News: RCMP used the anti-pipeline resistance at the Standing Rock reservation in 2016 to justify creating a unit in British Columbia to police similar opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, newly released documents show. Internal files, recently released to CBC News through access to information...

June 16, 2023


RCMP Removes Investigators from Tribunal Witness List

Officers conducting a ‘spinoff’ investigation into abuses at Immaculata Elementary School won’t appear at human rights hearings. [Editor’s note: This article contains stories about trauma and abuse. It may be triggering to some readers.] The Tyee: As the RCMP began looking into an allegation of historical sexual assault at Immaculata Elementary School in Burns Lake,...

June 6, 2023


RCMP Officer Testifies about Mistakes in Burns Lake Investigation

‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ Cpl. Bill Larsen, then a rookie, said about asking sexual assault victim for a polygraph. The Tyee: Nearly 14 years ago, as Bill Larsen prepared for his first posting with the RCMP, he felt ambivalent.  He was being sent to Burns Lake, a northern B.C. community of about 1,700 residents,...

June 6, 2023


Indigenous lawyer injured during central Alberta arrest alleges RCMP used ‘extreme force’

RCMP characterize driver and passenger, both women, as the aggressors CBC News: A Red Deer lawyer says she and her friend were beaten by an RCMP officer this past weekend after they were pulled over in a central Alberta town. Defence lawyer Laura Phypers, 37, suffered a concussion and broken nose after she was punched at least...

May 26, 2023


RCMP apologize to dead Indigenous teen’s family, saying investigation was never closed

RCMP in Duncan, B.C., addressed rally for Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, saying case remains top priority CBC News: In an emotional address, RCMP in Duncan, B.C., located about 60 kilometres north of Victoria, publicly apologized to the family of 15-year-old Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed on Friday — saying a miscommunication between police agencies resulted in incorrect information being released that the...

May 25, 2023


RCMP arrested Indigenous assault victim instead of taking her to hospital, inquest hears

B.C.’s police watchdog cleared officers of wrongdoing in 2017 death of Nadine Solonas in Quesnel WARNING: This story contains graphic details of an assault. CBC News: RCMP responding to a 911 call about an assault on an Indigenous woman arrested the victim and took her to the local detachment in handcuffs instead of taking her to hospital,...

May 24, 2023


Over the DOJ’s Objections, an Expert Witness Testifies about the RCMP

Officers should have been aware of Indigenous people’s historical mistrust of the force, law professor David Milward told the tribunal The Tyee: An expert witness testifying Tuesday at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing into the RCMP’s investigation of historic abuse at two northern B.C. schools said it’s likely investigating officers were aware of Indigenous...

May 23, 2023


The Mounties: 150 years of conflict with Indigenous Peoples

The symbol of the Canadian frontier is tarnished as it celebrates latest milestone CBC News: Jean Teillet remembers the day she and a couple of friends planned to snag the rope that hanged Louis Riel from its display in Toronto’s fake castle, Casa Loma.  “We were going to liberate the rope that the Royal Canadian...

May 23, 2023


RCMP Lawyers Suggest a Journalist Planted Memories in Burns Lake

Repeatedly, witnesses were asked if they’d written their own affidavits. They kept saying they just wanted to be heard and believed.  The Tyee: “Peace”. That was one witness’s simple request when asked what she hoped to gain from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal currently examining potential bias by the RCMP when it investigated allegations of...

May 22, 2023


‘On the inside’: Why some Indigenous officers stick with the RCMP despite struggles

The Mounties are struggling to recruit and retain Indigenous members Stephanie Taylor · The Canadian Press · Posted: May 22, 2023 12:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 22 CBC News: Canadian Press – Dean Gladue says he never experienced racism until joining the RCMP. The 26-year veteran began his career with the force in 1989 as special constable,...

May 18, 2023


Burns Lake Witnesses Describe Mysterious Visits from the RCMP

Two people say they were contacted for the first time in a decade-old investigation, weeks before testifying at a human rights tribunal. Amanda Follett Hosgood 18 May 2023The Tyee Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett The Tyee: Witnesses testifying on behalf of First Nations...

May 3, 2023


‘She Was Ready to Testify’

Indigenous day school survivors who died before they got a chance to testify were remembered as a human rights tribunal gets underway in Burns Lake. Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett. The Tyee: As a child attending Immaculata Elementary School in Burns Lake,...

May 2, 2023


Security videos that show RCMP punching Indigenous men in Thompson point to tense relationship

Videos call to question relationship between RCMP and Thompson residents WARNING: This story includes graphic images and details of violent encounters with police. CBC News: It’s just after 6 p.m. on a June 2019 evening in the northern Manitoba city of Thompson. The sun is still up, and RCMP officers have been called to a...

May 1, 2023


Human Rights Tribunal Hearings Start Today in Burns Lake

Here’s why we can’t publish the name of the powerful figure at the centre of this inquiry into the RCMP’s handling of abuse allegations. The Tyee: Today, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal embarks on what will be the first day of weeks of testimony examining the RCMP’s handling of abuse allegations at Indigenous day schools...

April 19, 2023


Inuk mother says daughter’s run in with Yukon RCMP left her hospitalized

APTN: The mother of a 17-year-old Inuk-Dene girl says an altercation with Yukon RCMP left her hospitalized and in need of surgery. “It’s heartbreaking. As a parent, you put trust in public servants and you trust them with your livelihood, with your children, and I feel like it’s failed,” said Briann Gagnon, the girl’s mother....

March 29, 2023


B.C. RCMP make arrests at pipeline protest site following alleged ‘swarming incidents’

5 people arrested for ‘obstruction of a police officer’ CBC News: Five people were arrested at a camp on traditional Wet’suwet’en territory in northwestern B.C. on Wednesday. Sleydo’, a spokesperson for the Gidimt’en checkpoint, said Mounties in multiple police vehicles arrived at the checkpoint around 10:30 a.m. PT, though she was not on site when...

March 14, 2023


Delayed Court Hearings for RCMP Officers Charged with Manslaughter

Dale Culver died in 2017 in police custody. His family says the legal process has been ‘horrendous’ but they’ll keep fighting for justice. The Tyee: A family’s fight for justice has been further delayed as hearings set to begin today in a Prince George courtroom were postponed at the last minute.  At a news conference...

March 11, 2023


The B.C. solicitor general ordered a probe of alleged RCMP misconduct in Prince George. Here’s why Indigenous leaders say it’s flawed.

B.C. officials declined to comment on First Nations’ concerns, citing the “active investigation.” Toronto Star: B.C. First Nations leaders are demanding Indigenous representation in a probe of longstanding allegations RCMP officers sexually harassed and abused Indigenous teenagers and then covered it up. The external investigation comes after the Star revealed in Novemberthat the RCMP watchdog agency,...

March 10, 2023


Documents Reveal ‘Rural Policing’ Money Is Going to the RCMP’s Community – Industry Response Group (C-IRG)

An RCMP unit under investigation by a federal commissioner will receive 15 per cent of the funding promised for safer communities. The Tyee: A portion of the $230 million promised last fall by the BC NDP to bolster rural police detachments and make communities safer is earmarked for a controversial RCMP unit tasked with policing...

March 9, 2023


Watchdog opens probe into RCMP unit that polices resource standoffs in B.C.

Terms of reference in Community-Industry Response Group ‘systemic investigation’ announced CBC News: The RCMP’s federal watchdog agency is opening a probe into the activities and operations of the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit that polices protests against resource extraction in British Columbia. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which receives and oversees...

February 24, 2023


B.C. orders probe into allegations RCMP dropped ball investigating abuse of Indigenous girls in Prince George

Province launching ‘out-of-jurisdiction’ investigation into allegations report says went largely ignored CBC News: The provincial government has ordered an external investigation after an independent report found the RCMP failed to properly investigate what one officer described as potentially “egregious” allegations that Mounties had abused and harassed Indigenous girls in Prince George, B.C., decades ago. A statement on Thursday confirmed the...

February 9, 2023


RCMP reveals which provinces’ Mounties did least amount of mandatory anti-racism training

The RCMP told the Star previously that more than 50 per cent of its workforce had taken the course; it turns out the actual number is 51.6 per cent. Toronto Star: More than a year after committing to have each RCMP officer and employee take anti-racism training, the Mounties have revealed the full extent of...

February 1, 2023


5 Prince George Mounties charged in death of Indigenous man

4 of the 5 officers remain on active duty, according to RCMP CBC News: Two RCMP officers in Prince George, B.C., have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the 2017 death of an Indigenous man, Crown prosecutors announced Wednesday. Another three have been charged with attempting to obstruct justice related to the events immediately...

January 25, 2023


RCMP misses deadline for employees to complete mandatory anti-racism training

The 3-hour online course “Uniting Against Racism” was introduced as part of the Vision 150 program brought in by Brenda Lucki when she took over. Toronto Star: The Mounties have acknowledged their ongoing problems with systemic racism and discrimination. They have touted their action plan for dealing with those problems. But the RCMP has, so...

January 9, 2023


RCMP has spent nearly $50M on policing pipeline, logging standoffs in B.C.

Cash for operations on 3 resource projects flowed through Community-Industry Response Group CBC News · Posted: Jan 06, 2023 1:59 PM ET | Last Updated: January 6 CBC News: An RCMP squad charged with policing resistance to resource extraction in British Columbia spent nearly $50 million enforcing injunctions obtained by the petroleum and forestry sectors in its first...

January 4, 2023


‘I didn’t know what racism was until I joined’: The RCMP has a systemic problem. But what is being done?

That the Mounties have a systemic problem with racism and harassment is not in question. What’s less clear is what’s being done about it. Toronto Star: This is the second part in a special Star series looking at Canada’s national police force and what some say are the existential challenges it is facing.  For three...

November 6, 2022


A video allegedly showed an RCMP officer sexually harassing an Indigenous teen. Then it went missing. Inside allegations of misconduct and cover-up in Canada’s national police force

The officer, now retired, previously denied any misconduct. He did not respond to the Star’s questions about the alleged tapes. Toronto Star: RCMP Const. Lisa Mackenzie was on patrol in her squad car in Kamloops, B.C., when she got a call from her watch supervisor. He said her ex-husband, fellow RCMP Const. Joseph Kohut, had...

September 7, 2022


Calls fo Action after Haida elder killed by police after calling them for help

The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Pivot Legal Society, #Justice for Jared, The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) and the family of Haida Elder Jimmie Johannesson announce calls to action five months after Surrey RCMP Fatality NationTalk: (Unceded territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Stz’uminus, Sto:lo, and Tsawwassen First Nations/Surrey, B.C. – September...

April 28, 2022


Racism in the North: RCMP, national Inuit organization agree on reconciliation plan

Globe and Mail: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a national representative Inuit organization have agreed on a plan to improve the relationship between the police force and Inuit communities. The Mounties and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), a non-profit organization in Canada that represents more than 65,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and the rest...

February 8, 2022


Spying on Indigenous activists

Chairperson of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police press release: In 2021, the CRCC’s findings and recommendations led the RCMP to take significant remedial steps, including: Updating policies and procedures for response to mental health crises and wellness checks (summary numbers 21-282, 21-283). Creating a national sexual assault investigation...

January 14, 2022


Spying on Indigenous activists: BC Civil Liberties Association wins

Union of BC Indian Chiefs – UBCIC congratulates the BC Civil Liberties Association on winning their precedent-setting lawsuit, which resulted in the Federal Court of Canada’s decision that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki violated her statutory obligations by failing to respond to investigations into claims of Mountie misconduct. This case marks the first time the court...

October 29, 2021


Attack on Chief Adams

Government of Alberta – Alberta’s government hired PwC Canada in October 2020 to study the feasibility of replacing the RCMP in Alberta with a provincial police service. The policing model presented by PwC proposes innovative approaches to service delivery and governance that have the potential to better address the root causes of crime through built-in...

June 23, 2021


Racism In the North: Class Action lawsuit

Canadian Press – A lawsuit alleging RCMP systematically brutalized Indigenous people in Northern Canada can proceed as a class action despite objections from the government, Federal Court ruled on Wednesday. In her decision, Judge Glennys McVeigh rejected the government’s arguments that the proposed suit failed to meet the legal grounds for certification although individuals could...

May 11, 2021


Death of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations mother

On May 8th, a Tla-o-qui-aht mother of two was shot by the RCMP after they responded to a call for help. The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and the First Nations Leadership Council are calling for an immediate, transparent and transformative response which includes the Tla-o-qui-aht community at every step of the way… this is the third...

April 1, 2021


Spying on Indigenous activists: RCMP delay in responding

In its written submissions, the BCCLA argues the RCMP Commissioner’s extreme delay in responding breached her obligations under the RCMP Act and violated the BCCLA’s Charter right to freedom of expression. The BCCLA also argues that delays have plagued the complaints system for over a decade and it is time to hold the RCMP to...

March 24, 2021


Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: RCMP progress on implementing recommendations

Public Safety Canada – Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, issued a statement indicating that The Commissioner of the RCMP has implemented 16 of the recommendations, and is on track to fully implement all of them by April 2021. All employees of the Saskatchewan RCMP will have completed a mandatory Cultural Awareness...

March 24, 2021


Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: First Nations and mayors’ group statement

CBC – First Nations chiefs and mayors in the Saskatchewan region where Colten Boushie was killed in 2016 say more needs to be done to combat racism. Following the release this week of an RCMP watchdog report into the shooting death of the 22-year-old Red Pheasant Cree Nation man, they’ve issued a group statement vowing...

March 23, 2021


Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: CRCC report criticizes RCMP

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs – The AMC expresses outrage at the information in the report by the CRCC into RMCP conduct in the killing of Colten Boushie. The report advised that Ms. Baptiste, as a First Nation woman, was racially discriminated against by RCMP members when they came to notify her of her son’s murder…These...

March 22, 2021


Investigation into death of Colten Boushie: CRCC Report into RCMP investigation

RCMP’s Civilian Review and Complaints Commission – released the CRCC’s report that made 47 findings and 17 recommendations to address the deficiencies identified in the RCMP’s investigation and interactions with Colten Boushie’s family after his death in 2016. Some issues were of significant concern, like the failure to protect the vehicle Mr. Boushie was sitting...

February 16, 2021


RCMP Cultural Training Criticism

Toronto Star – A mandatory online training program called “Cultural Awareness and Humility” that was rolled our last fall for all RCMP members and touted by the commissioner as an example of the force’s efforts to modernize misses the mark on many levels according to experts who have reviewed the program for the Star, including:...

January 27, 2021


RCMP Cultural Training Criticism

NationTalk – RCMP reconciliation efforts aim to improve community safety and well-being, to enhance investigative standards, and to deliver the highest quality policing services. Efforts are also implemented within the organization to support the over 1,900 Indigenous employees of the RCMP and to inspire a culturally engaged, trauma-informed workforce....

December 29, 2020


RCMP Cultural Training Criticism: Vision150

Vision150 is our plan to modernize the RCMP. Our vision responds to the expectations set out in the Commissioner’s 2018 mandate letter and forms the core of our strategic direction. Vision 150 Tracker tracks progress on four themes: People, Culture, Stewardship and Policing Culture. Tracking Progress for Policing Services: All the following are ON TRACK...

December 3, 2020


Racism in Nunavut: No charges laid

Global News – No charges will be laid against the RCMP officer who hit an inebriated Inuit man with the door of his moving truck. The Ottawa Police Service, which conducted a criminal investigation into the takedown, ruled the arrest was “lawful” and the officer hit the man with his truck unintentionally. The RCMP’s internal...

December 3, 2020


Attack on Chief Adams

Government of Alberta – has issued an online survey that is part of the province’s review of the Police Act. The questionnaire covers several topics related to law enforcement, such as the role of police in community, processes for handling complaints from the public and officer discipline. Throughout the fall, the Alberta government has met...

November 12, 2020


Indigenous Protests: CRCC Final Report on shale gas exploration protests in NB

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission of the RCMP – issued its Final Report on the RCMP’s actions in managing Indigenous protests over shale-gas exploration by SWN Resources Canada in New Brunswick in 2013. After reviewing the RCMP’s response to the interim report’s findings on the 21 specific complaints, the CRCC Chairperson noted “with concern, however,...

November 10, 2020


Spying on Indigenous activists

BC Civil Liberties Association – BCCLA is launching a lawsuit against RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki “for inexcusable delays preventing the release of a civilian watchdog report into RCMP spying on Indigenous and climate advocates”. “In February 2014, the BCCLA filed a complaint against the RCMP contending it illegally spied on the democratic activities of organizations...

November 9, 2020


Denial of medical access

CBC – Genesta Garson a 19-year-old member of Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba “was knocked unconscious at an RCMP detachment in Thompson, Man., and despite the act being caught on video, no formal investigation was launched. She was picked up on suspicion of being intoxicated by two community safety officers. During a disputed altercation,...

October 27, 2020


RCMP Cultural Training Criticism: AFN expectations

Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations listed the following expectations First Nations chiefs have of the federal government in the wake of multiple incidents across Canada where Indigenous peoples were put at risk due to the actions and inactions of the RCMP. Civilian oversight with genuine disciplinary powers The Minister of...

October 26, 2020


Racism in Nunavut: Bill 53

Bill 53, an Act to Amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Agreement Act, received its first reading in the legislative assembly on Thursday, Oct. 22. The new bill adds provisions to allow independent investigations to look into police-involved civilian injuries or deaths in the territory and the terms to create such a body. As it...

October 15, 2020


Arrests of Wet’suwet’en Water protectors

Coastal GasLink called in the RCMP to remove a group of Wet’suwet’en women and community members who are holding ceremony at a proposed drill site for Coastal Gaslink’s pipeline. Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) – UBCIC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous land defenders who are protecting the Wedzin Kwa, the river that sustains...

August 18, 2020


Racism in Nunavut: CCRC complaint into conduct of RCMP

RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CCRC) – Chairperson of the RCMP CCRC has initiated a complaint into the conduct of RCMP members involved in an incident in Nunavut. RCMP appointed the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) to investigate and determine whether criminal charges should be laid. In addition, an RCMP internal Code of Conduct investigation...

July 7, 2020


Racism in Nunavut: Roundtable discussion

Nunatsiaq News – Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson convened a roundtable meeting on June 19 to discuss the issue with more than 30 others. Among those in attendance were representatives of both the federal and territorial governments, Inuit organizations, Nunavut’s RCMP Chief Superintendent Amanda Jones and numerous other RCMP and regional police representatives. The meeting was...

June 25, 2020


Attack on Chief Adams

Edmonton Journal – Charges against Chief Allan Adams have been dropped after release of police dashcam footage showing an RCMP officer tackling him to the ground and striking his head in March...

June 11, 2020


Attack on Chief Adams

Toronto Star – A day after the Alberta RCMP deputy commissioner denied there is systemic racism in policing in Canada, new video of the arrest of a high-profile First Nation chief threw fuel on the fire of what is quickly becoming a roaring issue in this country. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations Chief Allan Adam was...

June 10, 2020


Attack on Chief Adams

Native Alberta News – The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is urging Canada to take action to address systemic racism, particularly between First Nations and the RCMP and is calling to reform and remodel training for the RCMP to include better First Nation awareness. The RCMP seem to: lack an understanding of Indigenous peoples fail to understand our...

June 5, 2020


Racism in Nunavut: QIT calls for end to systemic racism at the hands of RCMP

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) echoes the voices of Inuit across Nunavut to call for an end to systemic violence at the hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). We are disappointed to see that discriminatory attitudes and practices captured in the Qikiqtani Truth Commission report continue to plague our communities today. QIA joins...

November 19, 2019


RCMP Investigation into death of Inuit woman

The Nunatsiavut Government – is calling for an independent police investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Inuk woman whose body was removed from a makeshift tent in a wooded area of Happy Valley-Goose Bay during the early morning hours of November 15. “We have reason to believe the RCMP made assumptions as to the...

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