Over 11 days recently, six Indigenous people were killed in separate encounters with police departments across the country.
The outcome of any one incident isn’t surprising, but so many, so quickly, is shocking. And there are hopes amidst the loss that this might, perhaps, be the thing that shocks the country’s leaders to action.
On Monday, MPs in Ottawa held an emergency meeting. Indigenous leaders across the country are desperate to see some action.
Joanna Roberts is a filmmaker and reporter at CityNews Winnipeg.
“It’s not a surprise to hear that Indigenous people have had fatal run-ins with the police. It’s something that advocates have been speaking about for a very long time, for decades. But you know, six [people] in two weeks is such a staggering number,” said Roberts.
There are community groups on the ground ready and able to help de-escalate these situations, but it just isn’t happening. Why not? And what would it take to create impactful change?
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