Murray Mandryk - Saturday, May 7,2022
© Provided by Leader Post
Tiffany Witchekan tells reporters at the legislature the story of her sister, Ally Moosehunter who was recently killed.
First Nations, Metis and North Affairs Minister Don McMorris uttered a truism Thursday not heard often enough in the Saskatchewan legislative chamber where its inhabitants aren’t always that self-aware.
“I really believe that the solutions are not on these benches, but are in the communities where this is taking place,” McMorris said during a special legislative debate on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S).
It’s important for politicians to recognize there are issues that can be addressed — at least, in a superficial Band-aid way — by tweaking a law or a government policy here and there or by throwing a few dollars at the problem at budget time.
But politicians don’t often get there are issues like the MMIWG2S reality that require much, much more than new laws, policies or a little money.
The solutions are surely there within the communities, but they will only be found respectfully by listening to those still living in communities where tragedies have happened and, sadly, are still happening.
Countless stories like the one Tiffany Witchekan told of her sister Ally Moosehunter outside the legislature’s chamber Thursday are just too damn important to be drowned out by the usual glibness and political noise.
“She was a person. She was my person,” a tearful Witchekan told reporters of her sister who she doesn’t want to become a fraction of the big statistic that gets tossed out once a year on Red Dress Day when the rest of us finally get around to thinking about MMIWG2S.
“She didn’t deserve this and I don’t want it to be just swept under the rug, so I’m still fighting for justice.”
Of all the statements uttered within the tyndall-stone confines of the marble palace Thursday, the most important ones came from Red Dress Day guests like Witchekan, who simply reminded us those missing or murdered and their families deserve justice. Law-making politicians, police, courts and the rest of us need to listen to them.
Justice for past MMIWG2S victims is the key that unlocks the door to future peace and security for surviving loved ones. They are owed at least that.
Witchekan did not find justice for her sister at the legislature Thursday. That will hopefully be found in the court process that now sees her sister’s ex-partner stand trial for second-degree murder.
But for a welcome change, the legislature on Thursday was at least paying some attention to MMIWG2S stories. From this rare foray into listening to Indigenous concerns, the assembly unanimously adopted five articles in a declaration from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) on how best to address MMIWG2S.
Included in those five articles were calls for all levels of government to “take responsibility and action to address the disproportionate victimization of Indigenous women and girls,” greater opportunity for Indigenous women to “participate at all levels of governance,” “access to safe and accessible child care, education, health” and other life essentials free from “racism, sexual innuendo, harassment, or assault.”
“There is really nothing in here that a person could disagree with. All five articles are extremely important,” McMorris further noted in his address. This, too, was important.
Both McMorris and Justice Minister Gord Wyant focussed their remarks on programs and policies already enacted. It’s important for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to know that in the $233 million in the 2022-23 budget allotted for First Nations and Metis issues, there was $800,000 for community-led initiatives and $400,000 directly for MMIGW issues.
More importantly, however, Wyant and McMorris both acknowledged more needs to be done.
Other truisms uttered Thursday were even more important.
“We need representation inside this house,” said NDP Indigenous issues critic Betty Nippi-Albright. “Women who have their families missing are not at those tables.”
Some of Thursday’s MMIWG2S truisms had political overtones. They weren’t always comfortable or pleasant.
But that’s the nature of truisms. Right now, we need to hear all of them.
• Murray Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
First Nations, Metis and North Affairs Minister Don McMorris uttered a truism Thursday not heard often enough in the Saskatchewan legislative chamber where its inhabitants aren’t always that self-aware.
“I really believe that the solutions are not on these benches, but are in the communities where this is taking place,” McMorris said during a special legislative debate on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S).
It’s important for politicians to recognize there are issues that can be addressed — at least, in a superficial Band-aid way — by tweaking a law or a government policy here and there or by throwing a few dollars at the problem at budget time.
But politicians don’t often get there are issues like the MMIWG2S reality that require much, much more than new laws, policies or a little money.
The solutions are surely there within the communities, but they will only be found respectfully by listening to those still living in communities where tragedies have happened and, sadly, are still happening.
Countless stories like the one Tiffany Witchekan told of her sister Ally Moosehunter outside the legislature’s chamber Thursday are just too damn important to be drowned out by the usual glibness and political noise.
“She was a person. She was my person,” a tearful Witchekan told reporters of her sister who she doesn’t want to become a fraction of the big statistic that gets tossed out once a year on Red Dress Day when the rest of us finally get around to thinking about MMIWG2S.
“She didn’t deserve this and I don’t want it to be just swept under the rug, so I’m still fighting for justice.”
Of all the statements uttered within the tyndall-stone confines of the marble palace Thursday, the most important ones came from Red Dress Day guests like Witchekan, who simply reminded us those missing or murdered and their families deserve justice. Law-making politicians, police, courts and the rest of us need to listen to them.
Justice for past MMIWG2S victims is the key that unlocks the door to future peace and security for surviving loved ones. They are owed at least that.
Witchekan did not find justice for her sister at the legislature Thursday. That will hopefully be found in the court process that now sees her sister’s ex-partner stand trial for second-degree murder.
But for a welcome change, the legislature on Thursday was at least paying some attention to MMIWG2S stories. From this rare foray into listening to Indigenous concerns, the assembly unanimously adopted five articles in a declaration from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) on how best to address MMIWG2S.
Included in those five articles were calls for all levels of government to “take responsibility and action to address the disproportionate victimization of Indigenous women and girls,” greater opportunity for Indigenous women to “participate at all levels of governance,” “access to safe and accessible child care, education, health” and other life essentials free from “racism, sexual innuendo, harassment, or assault.”
“There is really nothing in here that a person could disagree with. All five articles are extremely important,” McMorris further noted in his address. This, too, was important.
Both McMorris and Justice Minister Gord Wyant focussed their remarks on programs and policies already enacted. It’s important for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to know that in the $233 million in the 2022-23 budget allotted for First Nations and Metis issues, there was $800,000 for community-led initiatives and $400,000 directly for MMIGW issues.
More importantly, however, Wyant and McMorris both acknowledged more needs to be done.
Other truisms uttered Thursday were even more important.
“We need representation inside this house,” said NDP Indigenous issues critic Betty Nippi-Albright. “Women who have their families missing are not at those tables.”
Some of Thursday’s MMIWG2S truisms had political overtones. They weren’t always comfortable or pleasant.
But that’s the nature of truisms. Right now, we need to hear all of them.
• Murray Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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