The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

SUMMER BALLENTINE
Sat, September 30, 2023 




 The offices of the Marion County Record weekly newspaper sit across the street from the Marion County, Kan., Courthouse, Aug. 21, 2023, in Marion. The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of the small Kansas newspaper is suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday, Sept. 30. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday, Sept. 28.

 (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday.

Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was still being paid.

Voice messages and emails from the AP seeking comment from Cody's lawyers were not immediately returned Saturday.

The Aug. 11 searches of the Marion County Record’s office and the homes of its publisher and a City Council member have been sharply criticized, putting Marion at the center of a debate over the press protections offered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Cody's suspension is a reversal for the mayor, who previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action.

Vice-Mayor Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided Aug. 11, praised Cody's suspension as “the best thing that can happen to Marion right now” as the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people struggles to move forward under the national spotlight.

“We can't duck our heads until it goes away, because it’s not going to go away until we do something about it,” Herbel said.

Cody has said little publicly since the raids other than posting a defense of them on the police department’s Facebook page. In court documents he filed to get the search warrants, he argued that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.

The raids came after a local restaurant owner accused the newspaper of illegally accessing information about her. A spokesman for the agency that maintains those records has said the newspaper’s online search that a reporter did was likely legal even though the reporter needed personal information about the restaurant owner that a tipster provided to look up her driving record.

The newspaper’s publisher Eric Meyer has said the identity theft allegations simply provided a convenient excuse for the search after his reporters had been digging for background information on Cody, who was appointed this summer.

Legal experts believe the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.

Video of the raid on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later.

Another reporter last month filed a federal lawsuit against the police chief over the raid.

ANTI WOKE MAGA GUNMAN

New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in protest shooting

Andrew Hay
Updated Fri, September 29, 2023 


(Reuters) -A New Mexico man was charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a demonstrator at a protest over plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador in the north of the state, police said.

Twenty-three-year-old Ryan Martinez of Sandia Park was arrested on Thursday after he shot a 42-year-old man while attempting to disrupt a peaceful protest at a civic center in Espanola, state police said in a statement.

The return of the statue of 16th-century colonial ruler Juan de Onate to a pedestal outside the public offices had been planned for Thursday but postponed by officials due to security concerns. The bronze was taken down in 2020 during nationwide anti-racism protests to topple monuments to European colonizers and Confederate officials.

A public defender assigned to Martinez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The wounded man, identified by family as Native American climate activist Jacob Johns of Seattle, was in critical condition at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque awaiting surgery, said Mateo Peixinho, an organizer for the protest rally.

"We strongly believe this fits the definition of a hate crime and domestic terrorism due to the fact that he was wearing a MAGA hat and displaying instigating behavior all morning," Peixinho said in a statement, referring to the "Make America Great Again" slogan used by former President Donald Trump.

Police said Martinez jumped a low wall and got into a scuffle with protesters before he pulled a handgun from his waistband, fired one shot and fled.

It was the latest violence around statues to Onate, the area's first colonial governor, erected in the 1990s to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Spaniards.

The monuments have long outraged Native Americans and others who trace Onate's brutal 1598 colonization to contemporary problems ranging from gender inequality to institutional racism.

Some ancestors of Spanish colonial settlers, known as Hispanos, say he should be celebrated as part of New Mexico's Hispanic heritage.

(Reporting By Andrew Hay; Editing by Chris Reese and William Mallard)

Suspect arrested in shooting that injured 1 at site of New Mexico statue protest

Clyde Hughes
Fri, September 29, 2023 

Simaah/Pixabay

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- One person was arrested after a shooting that injured one person at a rally against plans to erect a statue of a Spanish conquistador in New Mexico.

Ryan Martinez, 23, was arrested by Pojoaque Pueblo police at around 12:15 p.m. MDT on Thursday after fleeing the scene in a white Tesla.

Protesters had gathered at the Rio Arriba County government building in Espanola, N.M., to demonstrate against the county government's plan to install the nearly 30-year-old bronze statue of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Onate.

Witnesses said a scuffle took place during a speech at the site before a shot rang out as organizers said Martinez attempted to make his way up to a pedestal where the statue was set to be placed.

One person, identified as Jacob Johns, of Spokane, Wash., was struck by a single bullet in the chest and was in stable condition at Presbyterian Espanola Hospital.

Authorities did not immediately provide further details of the shooting, including publicly naming Martinez as the suspect or what charges he may face.

The statue of Onate was taken down by the Rio Arriba County government in 2020, with some accusing him of enslaving the local Pueblo population. '

"He stood for violence, for genocide, for rape," Jennifer Marley of the group San Ildefonso Pueblo, said. "That point was proven today."


Man shot at protest against plans to reinstall controversial New Mexico conquistador statue

Joe Sutton and Amanda Jackson, CNN
Fri, September 29, 2023 

A man was shot Thursday during a protest against plans to reinstall a statue of a controversial Spanish conquistador in northern New Mexico, police say.

Demonstrators were gathered in the city of Española, where officials had planned to reinstall a statue of Juan de Oñate but canceled the event over public safety concerns.

Ryan Martinez, 23, is suspected of shooting a man during an altercation that broke out at the protest, Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield said.

Martinez, who was taken into custody Thursday, was being held on charges of attempted murder in the first degree and aggravated assault, New Mexico State Police said Friday.

The man who was wounded was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque, said Merrifield, who did not know the victim’s condition.

New Mexico State Police are investigating the shooting, they said.

The statue of Oñate, who established the colony of New Mexico over 400 years ago, initially stood in the neighboring city of Alcalde, but was taken down in 2020 after protests demanding its removal. That came amid a wave of demonstrations in cities nationwide over monuments of controversial historical figures, including slaveowners, Confederate leaders and colonizers.

Oñate led a massacre of 800 to 1,000 indigenous people, after which he cut a foot off some survivors and sold some into slavery. He was later convicted of using excessive force and banished from New Mexico, and he remains a controversial figure in the state.

Rio Arriba County commissioners decided to reinstall the statue in a new location in front of a county building in Española, according to the sheriff.

The rededication of Oñate’s statue was scheduled to take place Thursday, but county officials postponed the event, citing safety concerns.

Despite the postponement, some demonstrators still showed up at the site on Thursday to protest the plan to install the statue.

Video recorded by a witness shows the moments leading to the shooting, in which a scuffle breaks out between a man and a group of others. The man eventually jumps over a retaining wall to escape the others before producing a gun and aiming toward them, the video shows. A gunshot is heard.

It’s unclear what led to the initial scuffle.

Ryan Martinez, center, stands at a rally outside a Rio Arriba County building on Thursday. Police say he later shot and wounded a man during a scuffle.

 - Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal/Zuma

The witness, Ray Naranjo, told CNN the shooter fled in a car as someone at the event followed him.

Merrifield had submitted a letter to the county’s commissioners on Thursday advising them that he “disagreed with them moving the statue at the current time” and wanted to “prevent any kind of safety issues (or) concerns, which we knew we were going to have,” he said at a news conference Thursday.

“Obviously we have a situation as of today,” he added.

Merrifield added he was grateful for the two commissioners who decided to stop the statue’s planned installation Thursday.

New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in shooting at protest over Spanish conquistador statue

MORGAN LEE
Fri, September 29, 2023 







Activists tend to a shooting victim during a protest where officials had planned to install a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Española, N.M. (Luis Sanchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man was charged Friday with attempted murder in a shooting that wounded one person at a protest over plans to install a statue of a Spanish conquistador outside government offices in the city of Española.

Defendant Ryan David Martinez, from Sandia Park, was read the felony charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon at his first appearance in municipal court. No plea was entered.

A temporary public defender assigned to Martinez could not be reached immediately by phone and didn't respond to voice messages. An apparent relative of the defendant answered the phone but declined to comment or confirm her family relation.

Martinez was arrested Thursday after chaos erupted and a shot was fired during protests in Española about plans to install a bronze likeness of conquistador Juan de Oñate, who is both revered and reviled for his role in establishing early settlements along the Upper Rio Grande starting in 1598.

Installation of the statue was planned for Thursday but was canceled by county officials amid security concerns. The statue of Oñate in armor on horseback was commissioned in the 1990s and installed near Española amid fanfare and resentment. The statute was taken down in 2020 during a national movement for racial justice that sought to topple countless monuments.

The victim of Thursday's shooting, a 42-year-old man, was flown to an Albuquerque hospital for treatment of a wound to the abdomen. His condition was not immediately available from state police overseeing the shooting investigation.

A warrant for Martinez's arrest includes testimony from witnesses who described an otherwise peaceful protest Thursday and the arrival of several men in “MAGA” hats. One witness told state police that protesters' children were gathered together near a makeshift shrine at the pedestal intended for the Oñate statue, amid misgivings about safety, and that “peacekeepers” blocked Martinez's way from entering the area.

Police reviewed video of the confrontation as recordings circulated on social media.

“Ryan is seen attempting to rush the shrine and being stopped by a group of men,” Officer Shane Faulkner says in the narrative. “As Ryan (retreated) back over the short wall, a man can be heard saying, ‘Let him go.’ The group of men do not try to pursue Ryan, and Ryan pulled his handgun from his waistband and shoots.”

Martinez was transported to a detention center in the Rio Arriba County government seat of Tierra Amarilla. A hearing on possible terms of pretrial detention is scheduled next week.

A pretrial services report showed no prior convictions for Martinez and no prior failures to appear in court.

___

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed to this story.

Shooter opens fire at New Mexico protest against conquistador statue, injuring 1

Chris Pandolfo
Fri, September 29, 2023 




A man was shot Thursday after gunfire erupted at a protest in northern New Mexico, where activists opposed the installation of a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate.

The man was injured and taken to the hospital while Rio Arriba County sheriff's officials arrested the suspected shooter, 23-year-old Ryan Martinez. Authorities said Martinez was the only suspect wanted in connection to the shooting.

Oñate has been a controversial figure in New Mexico's history for generations. Activists have targeted the statue and other likenesses of the Spaniard for what they say was his brutal and oppressive treatment of Native Americans during the Spanish conquest of what is now the Southwestern United States. Some Hispanics view the statue as a symbol of their heritage.

The county had previously postponed the installation of the statue in anticipation of public safety concerns, according to The Associated Press.

Protesters arrived Tuesday and pitched tents. They placed offerings on and around the empty pedestal to Oñate, including pottery, corn stalks, votive candles and a basket of vegetables. Banners read, "not today Oñate," and "celebrate resistance not conquistadores."

The suspected shooter had argued with protesters and was told by law enforcement officers to leave before violence erupted. Video filmed by an onlooker showed an altercation between the man and a group of protesters which ended in a shooting.

A witness told local news station KRQE that the suspect was trying to get back into the protest circle, which was right in front of the sheriff's office.

"He was trying to get back into the circle. And they were trying to hold him from coming back in because there were children there. And that’s when an altercation took place," said witness Raymon Naranj.

The video shows the suspect, wearing a green sweatshirt and red MAGA hat, hop over a short wall and rush at the crowd while others grabbed him.

"Hey, hey, hey. Let him go!" one person yelled before the suspect broke free and jumped back over the wall. He then drew a gun from his waistband and appeared to fire a single shot before fleeing the scene. People can be heard screaming after the shot rang out.

One person could be heard saying, "Help me! Help me!" and "I can't breathe."

The wounded man, who has not been identified, was shot in the upper torso and was being treated at a local hospital, authorities said.

Authorities said they have not determined a motive in the shooting.

"Once again, the saddest part about this is we have another incident of gun violence," County Sheriff Billy Merrifield told reporters.

This is the second time someone was shot at a Juan de Oñate statue protest. On June 15, 2020, Scott Williams was shot after protesters attempted to topple a bronze Oñate statue outside an Albuquerque museum. Williams was taken to a local hospital where he was listed in critical but stable condition, police said at the time.

The man who shot and injured Williams, Stephen Baca, had claimed self-defense. He pleaded no contest to one aggravated battery charge and guilty to battery for pushing two women down. Baca also pleaded guilty to unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon because he concealed his gun without a license, KRQE reported.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez condemned Thursdays' shooting in a statement.

"I strongly condemn the cowardly act of violence that we witnessed today in Rio Arriba County and stand ready to assist local law enforcement in whatever way possible. There is no excuse and no place for political violence in America. Regardless of our diverse political views we must remain committed to the rule of law and the right of every citizen to express themselves without fear," Torrez said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CANADA

Trudeau says 'denialism' rising as nation marks holiday for indigenous reconciliation

Reuters
Updated Sat, September 30, 2023 



PM Trudeau visits Lac La Ronge

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday warned about the rise of "denialism" and said uncovering the truth was more important than ever as the nation gathered to honor the lost children and survivors of indigenous schools.

Trudeau's statement was made on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, which recognizes the legacy of the residential schools, which operated between 1831 and 1996 and removed about 150,000 indigenous children from their families. Some were subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition at schools in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called "cultural genocide."

"We must never forget the past and the injustices committed against Indigenous Peoples at residential schools, as well as the intergenerational trauma that remains today," Trudeau said in a statement. "Right now, with denialism sadly on the rise, uncovering the whole truth is more important than ever."

Canada's indigenous peoples suffer from higher levels of poverty and violence, and shorter life expectancies.

Trudeau had drawn criticism on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021 for flying to the west coast with his family shortly after his after his own government designated the day as a federal holiday.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Leslie Adler)

'Doesn't mean a lot without action': Reflections on Canada's third National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30

While efforts to raise awareness are underway, it doesn't appear to be leading to much systemic change, according to experts who spoke to Yahoo Canada.

Elianna Lev
Fri, September 29, 2023 

People attend the second annual Orange Shirt Day Survivors Walk and PowWow on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg, Friday, September 30, 2022. The Manitoba government will not make Orange Shirt Day a statutory holiday this year. Premier Heather Stefanson says consultations are ongoing and there is still not a consensus on how the day should be marked. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/John WoodsMore

On Sept. 30, Canada will mark the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), intended for Canadians to honour survivors of residential schools, and those who never made it home.

Many across the country will commemorate the day in their communities with pow-wows, ceremonies and special services, while some federal buildings like the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill will be illuminated in orange. Canadian brands like Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire are selling orange sprinkle donuts and orange T-shirts, respectively, to raise money for Indigenous charities.

But while the efforts to raise awareness are underway, it doesn't appear to be leading to much systemic change, according to experts who spoke to Yahoo Canada.

Dr. Suzanne Stewart is a psychologist and professor of public health at University of Toronto, and a member of the Yellowknife Dene First Nation. She says that it’s a positive thing to see Indigenous reconciliation on the consciousness of the national landscape, but awareness and recognition are only going to get the country so far.

“Awareness doesn’t mean a lot without action and behavioural change,” Stewart says.

Over the past several years, there have been some steps towards change as a result of awareness. Toronto Metropolitan University is a prominent example: The university formally changed its name from Ryerson, whose namesake, Egerton Ryerson had ties to residential schools. Prior to the inaugural NDTR, statues and monuments for controversial figures with ties to residential schools started coming down across the country, and several public schools have been renamed.

But Stewart points out that if we take a deeper look, things are not improving for Indigenous communities when it comes to the discrimination they continually face in healthcare, social services, education, and in the justice system.

“While we have these nice sanitary things like donuts with orange on them, are these real things that matter and are affecting and saving our lives or improving the quality of life for Indigenous people happening right now? No, they aren’t,” she says. “In fact they’re getting worse.”

Sherry Starr and Wab Kinew lead the grand entrance at the second annual Orange Shirt Day Survivors Walk and Pow Wow on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg, Friday, September 30, 2022.

John Woods (The Canadian Press)

According to Homelessness Hub, a web-based research library and information centre, Indigenous people across the country are disproportionately affected by homelessness. A 2021 report from the City of Toronto, for example, found that Indigenous people make up 2.5 per cent of the city's population, yet 15 per cent of people experiencing homelessness.

A 2019 StatCan report found that suicide rates among First Nations people, Métis and Inuit were significantly higher than that among non-Indigenous people. The report showed that compared to the rate of non-Indigenous people, the risk of suicide was 1.6 times higher among Métis people, three times higher for First Nations people and nine times higher for Inuit people.

Buying a donut with orange sprinkles on it isn’t alleviating the realities our communities face, on reserve and off reserve.

Graham Paradis is a citizen of the Métis nation and a researcher with Archipel Research and Consulting. He says the most important and positive thing to come away with on NDTR is education and it appears people are learning about the issues faced by Indigenous communities.

“I think the more we’re able to educate the non-Indigenous population about our stories, our history, our present and foreseeable future, the better we can come to reconciling with Canada as a whole,” he says.

Paradis says public events for NDTR are an important way for people to interact with Indigenous communities and understand why things are the way they are and how things got that way. However, Canadians should try to recognize and avoid resting on the laurels of feel-good incentives.

“Buying a donut with orange sprinkles on it isn’t alleviating the realities our communities face, on reserve and off reserve,” Paradis says. “An orange donut ain’t fixing that any time soon.”

He admits it’s tough to pinpoint what non-Indigenous Canadians can do to affect more concrete change, aside from educating themselves, voting and showing up as allies.

And while most Canadians might feel good about concrete changes that are being made, like the fact that NDTR happens every year, or schools are being renamed, Paradis says that’s where they might get complicit.

“They’re not going to see the situation on reserve, they’re not going to see that nothing has changed within an Indigenous community,” he says. “It almost puts blinders on the average public and that’s what we need to be careful of with these types of celebrations and actions. That people don’t get comfortable and complicit.”

I don’t want it to become a performative day where people are just wearing orange shirts and showing up for a day.

Jaelyn Terriak, an Inuk researcher and facilitator with Archipel, also has mixed feelings about NDTR.

While she thinks it's important to have a day for people to educate themselves on the truth about the country's history and have important conversations, she hopes Canadians are committed to doing more work beyond the one day, when it comes to reconciliation.

“I don’t want it to become a performative day where people are just wearing orange shirts and showing up for a day but there’s nothing happening behind their actions,” she says. “Whether it’s individuals or organizations, we have to go beyond the truth part and there needs to be more actions.”

Terriak says that includes everything from donating to Indigenous organizations to having conversations with problematic family members to reading books about colonialism.

“Learn about settler colonialism, learn about capitalism and how that affects our communities,” she says. “Things just need to go a step further.”

Like Terriak, Stewart says that NDTR is a good step toward bringing awareness but it can’t stop there. She advises Canadians to become familiar with the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“Change is a multi-level process that’s nonlinear,” she says. “And the next stage of change is about mobilizing our resources to make the change that we need to make. That involves bringing people together, strengthening relationships, learning about colonial history and its impacts on ourselves and other people in our community including Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.”

Opinion

Canadian residential school deaths significantly higher than previously reported

Terri Cardinal, MacEwan University
Fri, September 29, 2023 

A Canadian flag is hung up side down as a protest for the 215 children buried in an unmarked mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kahnawake reserve, Canada, in 2021.

 File Photo by Andre Pichette/EPA-EFE

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Over the past year, I have worked at University nuhelot'įne thaiyots'į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills as the Indian Residential School Coordinator. There, I spent time speaking with survivors of Indian Residential Schools and I also helped conduct a search for grave sites of missing children.

Listening to the truths of residential school survivors was a stark reminder that we need to continue educating people about what happened at these schools, both for Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks. I also learned and reflected on the mortality at Indian Residential Schools across Canada.

Over 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian Residential Schools and although the official records are incomplete, it is estimated that thousands of children died at those schools.

Between 1931 and 1996, there were 139 Indian Residential Schools operating in Canada. In 2019, the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation shared the names of 2,800 children who had died in those schools. At that time, it was believed that there were still an additional 1,600 unnamed children.

As communities have continued to push for searches across the country, the numbers have kept growing. The most recent collective findings from community searches across the country (versus the official numbers of recorded deaths) suggest that the number of deaths may be much greater than those originally reported.

A father and his children walk near a tribute in front of the Catholic St-Franics Xavier Mission for the 215 children buried in an unmarked mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kahnawake reserve, Canada, in 2021. 

File Photo by Andre Pichette/EPA-EFE

These new findings support the accounts residential school survivors have been sharing for decades and provides context into the severity of the genocide enacted on Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

In July 2022, Pope Francis affirmed these accounts and called the Indian Residential Schools an act of genocide.

A photo released by the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba reportedly shows a gathering at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada in 1937. The school operated from 1890 through 1978 as a place to force youth from Indigenous tribes into giving up their language and culture.

 Photo courtesy of National Center for Truth and Reconciliation/EPA-EFE

However, in the midst of uncovering the truths through these searches, we are experiencing denialism. Despite the irrefutable evidence, there are still those who deny or refuse to acknowledge the abuse and deaths of Indigenous children in residential schools.

Survivor testimonies

The Reconciliation totem pole carved by James Hart (7idansuu), Haida master carver and Hereditary Chief is purified by first nations women with cedar boughs before being erected on the Main Mall at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 2017. The totem pole represents survivors of Canada's residential school system.

 File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPIMore

Last summer, UnBQ collaborated with the University of Alberta Indigenous-led team, to conduct a Phase 1 search of the former Blue Quills Indian Residential School near St. Paul, Alberta. Our initial findings released publicly on April 19 identified 19 "reflections of interest" on 1.29 acres of land.

The term "reflections of interest" is used to describe traits that are similar in ground- penetrating radar data. The reason this term was used at UnBQ was because prior to the release of the report they had not done GPR scans of nearby cemetery sites that would give them a more clear comparison. Once that process has been completed, the terminology will likely change in the Phase 2 report.

Over the course of the year, survivors have also shared areas of interest that will need further investigating. This is only the start of the search process as UnBQ is located on 240 acres of land.

Addressing denialism

In-depth measuring of the deaths of residential school students is critical to research and communities to help provide clearer understandings of the lives of these children across Canada.

It is also a potential way to address denialists who may question whether the number of deaths is excessive.

Denialists may argue that uncovering a certain number of graves is not indicative of problematic conditions in the schools. And that data, based on counts, is subject to distortion.

For example, it could be argued that mortality occurs in all populations and that schools with large populations in operation over long periods would encounter deaths and therefore, the occurrence of a number of deaths is not problematic.

However, there are quantitative methods that can help address these issues.

A good example is the standardized mortality ratio. This ratio involves calculating the number of expected deaths in residential schools based on reported death rates in the Canadian population during the same time period among children of the same ages based on historical data.

Although we have no public data that details the full scope of mortality rates for Indigenous children in residential schools, calculations such as the standardized mortality ratio can help us fully document how many Indigenous children died.

Indigenous scholars, leaders and survivors have long known that the number of deaths of children in residential schools was substantial. Now, as new research and data is produced, we will continue to see the official numbers grow.

Compassion as we mourn

As the daughter of a residential school survivor and a relative to many who attended Blue Quills Indian Residential School, it's horrible to have to address denialism during this time of mourning and healing in our communities.

Shortly after unmarked graves were uncovered at the Kamloops residential school, my father, Joe Cardinal, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation shared with me his wish that we continue to educate people on the beauty of our culture.

My father survived so I can live and experience love. I honor his wish by learning, unlearning and educating in systems that were not made for me. Education is healing and it offers people an opportunity to understand, unlearn and relearn the truths of this country.

My father once told me:

"We are here to show the next generation what our ancestors were taught, the values of respecting one another, loving one another, helping one another. That's what we need, we need to come back to that."

The findings across this country create opportunity for healing and addressing unresolved grief. The intergenerational trauma of residential schools has interrupted and challenged our Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

In listening to the stories shared throughout this process, I have come to recognize that this work has created opportunities for healing in a trauma-informed and culturally appropriate way.

Indigenous communities hold the knowledge required to heal. We don't need to be researched and rescued. We need to be more compassionate with one another, as people, but also as practitioners working with Indigenous families.

The stories that Indigenous Peoples tell are sacred. The accounts residential school survivors and their families share are sacred. Those who listen to them all carry responsibilities. Once you have been told, you know. Once you know, you are responsible. We are all responsible.


If you are experiencing trauma or feeling triggered, help is available 24/7 for survivors and their families through the Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. Mental health support is available through the Hope for Wellness chatline at 1-855-242-3310 or using the chat box at hopeforwellness.ca.

Terri Cardinal is director of Indigenous initiatives at MacEwan University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Through the Eyes of a 6-Year-old Child, Orange Became a Symbol of an Indigenous Movement

LEVI RICKERT AND NEELY BARDWELL
Fri, September 29, 2023 


Phyllis Webstad, a tribal citizen of the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, is a prime example of how one person can make a difference and create an Indigenous movement across North America.

Editor’s Note: This story was published in observance of Orange Shirt Day in 2021. Native News Online is republishing it again this year.

For a listing of events commemorating Orange Shirt Day around North America, see our post here.

Webstad is the force behind the Orange Shirt Day movement that is commemorated each year on Sept. 30 to remember Indigenous people who attended Indian residential schools in Canada and Indian boarding schools in the United States.

The color orange was chosen because of something that happened to Webstad when she was only six years old. It was Sept. 30, 1973, the first day she attended St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in British Columbia. Her grandmother had bought Webstad a brand-new shiny orange shirt to wear, adding to the young student’s first-day-of-school excitement.

Unfortunately, when Webstad got to school, the orange shirt was taken from her, and it was never given back.

“I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying, and no one cared,” Webstad said.

She never forgot the loss that turned into a hurt to her heart.

In 2013, Webstad was asked to return to St. Joseph’s as an Indian residential school survivor. She convinced other survivors to buy orange t-shirts as a way to remember those who attended the residential schools in Canada. She formed the Orange Shirt Society.

“Wearing orange shirts are a symbol of defiance against those things that undermine children’s self-esteem, and of our commitment to anti-racism and anti-bullying in general,” Webstad explains.

The Orange Shirt Society is not all about defiance though.

“Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come,” Webstad said.

September 30 was chosen as the primary day of remembrance because it is around that time of the year that Indigenous children were taken from their homes and sent to residential schools. It was also chosen because “it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year,” Webstad explains.

Since 2013, the Orange Shirt Day has morphed into days of reflection throughout Canada and the United States. Orange has become a color for women jingle dress dancers.

Today’s Orange Shirt Day has a more serious tone, following the revelation in late May that the remains of 215 children were discovered in a mass grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Since then, thousands of other bodies have been found at residential schools throughout Canada.

“Every child matters” has become a mantra for t-shirts and rally signs.

Two years ago, for the first time, Canada celebrated Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30, 2021. But to many, Sept. 30 will always be known as Orange Shirt Day because of the difference Phyllis Webstad made in the creation of an Indigenous movement.

About the Author: "Elyse Wild is senior editor for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. "  ewild@indiancountrymedia.com

Murder Claim in Canada Is Only Helping India Leader Modi at Home

India’s opposition party Congress in a bind, backs government

Claim bolsters Modi’s strongman image within the country

A poster features Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 19.

Photographer: Don Mackinnon/AFP/Getty Images

By Swati Gupta and Sudhi Ranjan Sen
September 29, 2023 at 6:00 PM MDT

As the US and its allies fret over Canada’s allegation that India orchestrated the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, the scandal is providing a political boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India has gone on the offensive since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Modi’s government of orchestrating the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a priest who advocated for an independent Sikh homeland in India, and whom India branded a terrorist in 2020. While Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar this week said India was open to looking at specific evidence, he blamed Canada for not taking action against extremists.

Within India, that stance has made Modi a clear winner. Influential nationalist television hosts are attacking Canada and whipping up patriotism on nightly news programs. The opposition alliance, haunted by its own past, has effectively supported Modi, seeing little to gain in criticizing him. And the focus on terrorism is likely to stir up the base in his conservative Bharatiya Janata Party.

“For India’s Hindu nationalists who seek a more muscular approach in foreign policy, this incident is likely to galvanize greater support for PM Modi as being tough on terrorism,” said Ayesha Ray, who teaches political science at King’s College in Pennsylvania, and is a frequent commentator on Indian politics.

Modi remains overwhelmingly popular in India, and despite recent high inflation and persistent unemployment, he is expected to extend his decade in power in elections scheduled for the first half of 2024. India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has avoided using the Canadian allegations – and potential reputational damage – to criticize Modi.

Narendra ModiPhotographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg

Instead, it has supported the government, perhaps chastened by lessons from the last election in 2019. In the months before that vote, Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in the disputed northern region of Kashmir. Modi sent fighter jets across the border into neighboring Pakistan to hit alleged terror training facilities.


That move whipped up patriotic frenzy, and the Congress party came under attack after it questioned official claims that Indian bombs actually hit those terror camps inside Pakistan. Modi swept the general elections a few months later, riding on a wave of nationalist euphoria.

“Our fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity,” Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress leader and spokesperson, said to reporters last week.

The Congress party has another reason to stay quiet: it’s own uneasy history with the Sikh separatist movement.

When Sikh separatism was at its zenith in the early 1980s, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was also leader of the Congress Party, cracked down on the movement with brute force. Most notably, the army stormed Sikhism’s holiest shrine, killing hundreds, including a top separatist leader. A few months later, two of her Sikh bodyguards shot her dead, which in turn led to anti-Sikh riots.

Indian army officers at the site of the military operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.

Source: The India Today Group/Getty Images

The Congress party has also supported the Modi government on other foreign policy issues that have rankled the West, most notably in avoiding condemnation of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

India has emerged as a key swing state since Russia’s invasion, and its foreign policy is dominated by a determination to be seen as an independent player on the international stage. It has continued to buy oil and weapons from Russia, even as the US and its allies court Modi’s government as a key democratic Asian counterweight to an increasingly authoritarian China.

The scandal over Nijjar’s killing will help burnish Modi’s image as a force on the world stage who isn’t beholden to any country, according to Harsh Pant, author of a book on India’s foreign policy and an international relations professor at Kings College, London.

“It adds to that narrative of Mr. Modi being a strong leader, a no-nonsense leader, a leader that will also push against countries that are potential allies,” Pant said, adding that he doubts India will cooperate with any international inquiry. “I don’t think India will be budging on this issue.”

 Opinion

Ramkumar: The United States in a multi-polar world

Seshadri Ramkumar
Sat, September 30, 2023

The most recent events in the wake of Canadian allegations against India on the alleged killing of a Sikh separatist and the ongoing war in Europe are tests for American diplomacy. There is no doubt nations are looking at United States for leadership in finding amicable solutions to complex diplomatic issues. America is also focusing on its strategic interests by trying to realign and establish partnerships.

On Sept. 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dropped a bombshell allegation against India in the alleged killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada. This briefing in the Canadian House of Commons occurred right after Trudeau returned to Ottawa from India after the G20 summit. The meeting apparently did not go well for Trudeau as there were ongoing tensions between the two countries about the Khalistan movement in Canada. Although the reasons behind going public without disclosing the evidence and the timing of such an announcement by the Canadian Prime Minister are not well understood, certainly it has created a diplomatic standoff between two important nations bringing global attention. This situation has put the United States in a diplomatic hotspot as it tries to be a mediator between an ally and a strategic partner.

It is common in situations of such sensitivity; discussions happen in private settings by providing compelling evidence to back up the allegations. The United States has been trying to be an effective mediator by coordinating with the Canadians to complete the investigation while encouraging India to cooperate. The government of India has stated that if Canada provided any reliable evidence, it would certainly cooperate with the investigations, which was echoed by Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India during his current visit to the United States.

Given the rising clout of India on the global stage, being the most populous nation on earth with the 5th largest economy, nations are handling the situation carefully so tensions do not escalate. That is the reason there has not been a public condemnation of India by the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, who are expecting that the investigations in Canada would produce result that can be shared. The muted response by leading nations for Canada’s allegation is a clear diplomatic strategy, while encouraging proper investigation to provide results.

The United States understands the importance of India, all the way acknowledging the long-standing support of Canada by being an ally and one of its largest trading partners. In the past 20 years the friendship between the United States and India has been on an upward trajectory, which is valued by the two nations and other freedom-loving countries due to the enormous possibilities in the global security, economy, and political arenas. Amidst the ongoing diplomatic spat between India and Canada, the United Kingdom has not halted the trade talks with India and is expected to reach an agreement soon.

The relationship between the United States and India is getting strengthened with many high-level visits and talks as is evident by the first state visit of Prime Minister Modi to the United States in June. This visit resulted in bilateral collaborations in science and technology and strengthening the semiconductor supply chain between the two nations and increasing investments in chip manufacturing and research in India by U.S. companies. Likewise, President Biden visited India for the recent G20 summit in New Delhi which had high level absentees such as President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia. This event was a witness to the rising clout and global aspirations of India, and its interest to engage with the global north to create win-win strategic partnerships. India and the United States view China as a competitor and challenge, and hence joining forces in technology, defense and global security arenas will weaken China and would benefit the world.

“There is today, you have a very compelling need for India and United States to work together,” said Dr. S. Jaishankar while touring United States recently for the United Nations’ general assembly. When pressed about the areas of cooperation, he answered that there are opportunities for partnerships in technology, defense and security, and geopolitics. The two nations have ongoing collaboration in initiatives such as India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, given the importance of AI, cyber security, and information sharing.

The United States values India as a strategic partner and a friend to counter the influence of China in the Indian Ocean region as a way of bridging the divide between North and South and engaging the West with the East. This strategic partnership may prove valuable in countering China’ s political growth in Africa and the Indo-Pacific zone and strengthen the supply chain in security tools and products of critical needs.

In a joint statement issued during the G20 summit, President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Modi called on their respective governments to strengthen strategic partnerships, emphasizing the importance of freedom, democracy, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all citizens.

India aspires to be a developed nation in the next 25 years, which is focused on growth termed as “Amrit Kal,” and is wanting a seat in the UN Security Council as a permanent member. The partnership with United States will prove valuable toward achieving these goals. Given India’s global presence and strength in the IT and service sectors, and its investments in space research by becoming the first nation to land on the south pole of moon, the United States can gain a reliable partner for its global outreach, particularly in the South. Recently, the U.S. State Department has released a report on the information manipulation by China and hence having a global IT powerhouse like India will help with tackling cybercrimes and counter Chinese false propaganda.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar met Thursday to further strengthen the bilateral partnership. Certainly, there were discussions on the ongoing diplomatic spat between India and Canada and such private discussions may prove to be more productive and fruitful.

The United States is practicing right diplomacy by constantly engaging with growing global power India. Engaging in high-level discussions by the United States in closed settings and some backchannel-door diplomacy would help with easing tensions between India and Canada.

The United States’ handling of the India-Canada tensions with careful diplomacy gives confidence in the role of America in a multi-polar world. The partnership between the United State and India and engaging with common friends and allies will result in enormous possibilities for a secure world.

Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar is a professor in the department of environmental toxicology at Texas Tech University.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ramkumar: The United States in a multi-polar world

Canada's Sikhs are grateful - and afraid - after Trudeau's India allegations

Updated Sat, September 30, 2023 

A sign outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple is seen after the killing on its grounds in June 2023 of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey

By Steve Scherer

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canadian Sikhs are grateful to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for giving voice to their fears and standing up to India at the risk of severe backlash from New Delhi, which he said could be linked to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.

The Indian government considered Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot to death in June in British Columbia (BC), a terrorist because of his advocacy for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state.

India forcefully denied its involvement in Nijjar's murder, which took place in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, BC. But Canadian Sikhs are unconvinced, and the minority who are active proponents of Khalistan are afraid.

"There's a lot of fear," said Sentokh Singh, who was among the small group who protested in front of the Indian High Commission (embassy) in Ottawa this week. "That's why we are here today."

Both countries expelled diplomats in a tit-for-tat retaliation after Trudeau's bombshell announcement last week, but India has gone further, issuing a travel warning and halting visa issuance to Canadians.

Trudeau's move risks derailing a strategic economic and political shift many Western countries are making towards India to counter China. It also distracted attention from his push to address cost-of-living concerns, which have weighed heavily on his popularity in opinion polls.

Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs, the highest population outside the northern Indian state of Punjab, and the Indian government has for decades expressed its displeasure with some community members' outspoken support for Khalistan.

Sikhs punch above their weight in Canadian politics. They have 15 members in the House of Commons, more than 4% of the seats, mostly from key battlegrounds in national elections, while comprising only about 2% of the Canadian population.

Furthermore, one member is Jagmeet Singh, leader of the opposition New Democrats, a left-leaning party that is supporting the Trudeau's minority government.

"In political terms, this is no-brainer: You got to get out ahead of the story and you got to express outrage," said Fen Hampson, professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Trudeau's "unsubstantiated allegations" seek to shift focus away from "Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada," India's foreign ministry said.

Canada says Sikhs have a right to peaceful protest and there has been no evidence of violence, terrorist activity or wrongdoing.

'RELIEF'

A friend of Nijjar's, Gurmeet Singh Toor, is an active member of the same temple and a Khalistan supporter. He was told in August by the federal police that his life might be "in peril", according to a document he was given by police that provided no details about the potential threat.

The RCMP would not corroborate the document, saying it could increase the risk to the individual who received it.

An insurgency seeking a Sikh homeland of Khalistan killed tens of thousands in the 1980s and 1990s and was crushed by India. It has almost no support in Punjab today.

However, on Friday hundreds of Sikh activists staged a demonstration outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, in Punjab, demanding punishment for the Nijjar's killers.

Mukhbir Singh, a member of the Ottawa Sikh Society, said Canadian Sikhs' views on Khalistan vary and everyone should be able to express their own opinion. He said Trudeau is sticking up for Canadian democratic values.

"Prime Minister Trudeau has taken a stance" to make "paramount" the safety of its citizens, he said, even though the Canadian government does not support Khalistan. "In Canada, we have the right to express our opinions even if they don't align with the opinions of the government."

Trudeau, the longest serving progressive leader in the G7 group of wealthy nations, is trailing badly in opinion polls. As he rolls out a series of measures to address cost-of-living concerns and try to claw back support, the tensions with India have interfered with attempts to communicate those new policies, senior officials in Ottawa said.

Suk Dhaliwal, a Sikh Liberal member of parliament for Surrey, told Reuters he is not a Khalistan separatist, but a Canadian, and Canadians have a right to protest peacefully. He said his constituents have suspected since June the involvement of the Indian government in the murder.

"The community feels a bit relieved now that at least there is someone who has shown leadership to bring this message forward," Dhaliwal said.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Additional reporting by Wa Lone in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and Daniel Wallis)

India’s foreign minister accuses Canada of having ‘permissive attitude towards terror’

Arpan Rai

Sat, September 30, 2023 

India’s foreign affairs minister has accused Canada of creating a “climate of violence” and an “atmosphere of intimidation” against Indian envoys working in Ottawa amid tensions between the nations continuing to spiral over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.

The comments come as there seem to be no signs of thawing in Indo-Canadian relations after prime minister Justin Trudeau earlier this month accused government agents of India of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who India had labelled a “terrorist”.

On Friday evening in Washington, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Canada even as he said India would be open to looking at evidence.

“Because there is freedom of speech, to make threats and intimidate diplomats, I don’t think that’s acceptable,” Mr Jaishankar said.

Canada has a “permissive attitude towards terrorists, extremists, and people who openly advocate violence”, he said in response to a question at an event in the Hudson Institute.

“They have been given operating space in Canada because of the compulsions of Canadian politics,” he said.

He said Delhi views Canada as a country where “organised crime from India has mixed with trafficking in people, secessionism, violence, terrorism”.

Ottawa has not issued a response to Mr Jaishankar’s remarks, which were made about the presence of Sikh separatist groups abroad that advocate for a separate homeland from India’s Punjab state called Khalistan – something that has not gone down well with New Delhi.

The minister, however, claimed the Narendra Modi administration is not shutting doors on Canada over the recent charges claiming India’s involvement.

“If there is a requirement for us to look at something, we are open to looking at it. But, I then expect somewhere, some pointer, something for me to look at,” he said.

Mr Trudeau, who is yet to publicly share any evidence, said last week he shared the “credible allegations” with India “many weeks ago”.

The issue of the separatist Khalistan movement has been a persistent thorn in the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Earlier this month, Mr Trudeau sent shockwaves after he alleged Indian agents may have had a role in the June murder of Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India had labelled Nijjar an “independent terrorist” before he was killed.

While New Delhi dismissed the allegations of its involvement in the murder as absurd, reports claimed intelligence was shared between Canada and its Five Eyes allies on the matter and also shared with Indian officers during the G20 summit.

Washington has urged India to cooperate with Canada in the murder probe.

The demand for Khalistan has surfaced many times in India, most prominently during a violent insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s, which had paralyzed Punjab for over a decade.

India has dubbed the Khalistan movement a security threat.

Extremists ‘given operating space in Canada,’ says Indian minister

Vedika Sud, Sahar Akbarzai and Chris Lau, CNN
Fri, September 29, 2023 

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

An Indian minister has accused Canada of giving “operating space” to terrorists and extremists, as he rejected claims by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government may have played a role in the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

“The Canadian (prime minister) made some allegations initially privately, and then publicly. And, our response to him, both in private and public, was that what he was alleging was not consistent with our policy,” India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during a discussion at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C. on Friday.

The minister said India was “open to” further examine the event if the Canadian government “had anything relevant and specific they would like us to look into,” but added that the row between the countries preceded Trudeau’s allegations.

Relations between the two nations took a nosedive last week after Trudeau claimed his authorities had been investigating “credible allegations” of a potential link between “agents of the government of India” and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an outspoken supporter of the creation of Khalistan – a separate homeland for the Sikhs that would include parts of India’s Punjab state.

India considers calls for Khalistan a grave national security threat. However, it has vehemently denied Trudeau’s claims, calling them “absurd and motivated,” and the growing spat has seen both countries expel each other’s diplomats.

But Jaishankar said on Friday that the differences went back further than the row over Nijjar’s death. He said the Indian government had long accused Canada of inaction in dealing with Sikh separatist extremism aimed at creating a separate Sikh homeland.

He said India believes Canada has a “very permissive Canadian attitude towards terrorists, extremist people who openly advocate violence.”

Those individuals “have been given operating space in Canada because of the compulsions of Canadian politics,” Jaishankar added.

Nijjar’s death shocked and outraged the Sikh community in Canada, one of the largest outside India and home to more than 770,000 members of the religious minority.

A number of groups associated with the idea of Khalistan are listed as “terrorist organizations” under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), though several Sikh organizations abroad have accused the Indian government of falsely equating them with terrorism.

Nijjar’s name appears on the list of UAPA terrorists and in 2020, the Indian National Investigation Agency accused him of “trying to radicalize the Sikh community across the world in favor of the creation of Khalistan.”
The US position

Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department on Thursday.

The two diplomats made no comments during a brief photo-op ahead of the meeting. However, a State Department spokesman said Friday that Blinken urged his Indian counterpart to cooperate fully with the ongoing Canadian investigation into the killing.

The US ambassador to Canada confirmed that intelligence gained by the “Five Eyes” network, which includes the US, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Australia, led to Canada’s public accusation that the Indian government may have played a role in the death of Nijjar.

At a different press conference Friday, Blinken said that those responsible for the murder of a Sikh activist in Canada “need to be held accountable.”

“We have engaged with the Indian government and urged them to work with Canada on an investigation, and I had the opportunity to do so again in my meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Jaishankar,” said Blinken at a press conference with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena and Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro.

Blinken said he hopes “our friends in both Canada and India will work together to resolve this matter.”

Jaishankar also noted he had spoken with both US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the matter.

“They obviously shared US views and assessments on this whole situation,” Jaishankar said. “So I think hopefully we both came out of those meetings better and forward.”

“Today, I’m actually in a situation where my diplomats are unsafe going to the embassy, or to the consulate in Canada. They are publicly intimidated. And that has actually compelled me to temporarily suspend even visa operations in Canada,” the minister added.

Canadian police have not arrested anyone in connection with Nijjar’s murder.

But in an August update, police released a statement saying they were investigating three suspects and issued a description of a possible getaway vehicle, asking for the public’s help

US Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee's hijab

CLAIRE RUSH
Updated Sat, September 30, 2023

 On Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, a federal agency sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee's hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women. 

(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee's hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle in Lenexa, Kansas, repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. After several weeks, the harassment culminated in him grabbing and partially removing her hijab, according to the complaint.

The manager's “offensive and incessant requests” that she remove her hijab, and his attempt to physically take it off, were “unwelcome, intentional, severe, based on religion, and created a hostile working environment based on religion," the complaint alleged.

Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company encourages employees to report concerns, including through an anonymous hotline.

"We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and we have terminated the employee in question,” she said in an emailed statement.

The harassment began in July 2021, when the manager began asking the employee, who was 19 at the time, to remove her hijab because he wanted to see her hair. According to the complaint, he demanded to see her hair at least 10 times over the course of one month. She refused on every occasion, saying she wore it because of her religious beliefs.

The employee complained to another supervisor that the incidents made her uncomfortable, but no further action was taken against the manager, the complaint said. One night during closing in August 2021, the manager allegedly reached out and pulled her hijab partially off her head.

The following day, the employee gave her two weeks' notice. Chipotle didn't schedule her for any shifts during those two weeks even though other non-Muslim employees who submitted their notice continued to be scheduled for work during that time, the complaint alleged.

The lawsuit claims that Chipotle violated federal civil rights law protecting employees and job applicants from discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, sex and national origin.

In its suit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it wants Chipotle to institute policies that provide equal employment opportunities for employees of all religions and pay damages to the employee.


‘This Is Trump Country’: Black Former Employee at Florida Waste Management Company Alleges Co-Workers Taunted Him with Stuffed Monkey, Used Racial Slur

Taylor Ardrey
Fri, September 29, 2023 

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued a waste management company after Black and Haitian American employees alleged they were subjected to a hostile work environment.

The EEOC filed the lawsuit on behalf of the employees of Waste Pro of Florida. It was filed on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

EEOC filed a lawsuit against Water Pro of Florid after Black employees alleged that they were exposed to a hostile work environment discrimination. (EEOC Lawsuit)

Fednol Pierre, who served as a welder and worked at the Jacksonville location, said he was continuously harassed by his colleagues, according to the lawsuit. His co-worker, identified as William Watts, allegedly called him the N-word, said to go back to Haiti, adding that “there is no need for you here.” He was also told to “go back on the banana boat” and “this is Trump country,” according to the claim obtained by Atlanta Black Star.

Pierre expressed his concerns to his supervisor, but the lawsuit alleged no disciplinary action was taken. In March 2022, less than a year after working at the location, he was approached by a supervisor who told him Watts and another co-worker named Mr. Shuman used racially offensive language when talking about him. He reported the harassment again, which was sent through human resources and prompted an investigation.

Pierre continued to report his experience and expressed that he feared retaliation from his co-workers amid the probe into his claims. The lawsuit stated that when the company didn’t take action, he requested to work at a later time. However, he “still had to work with Mr. Watts and Mr. Shuman for an hour each day.”

According to court records, he also requested that it is not disclosed that he reported the racial discrimination claims, but Watts was informed anyway by regional HRM Risner. Risner also announced that there would be a staff meeting to address Pierre’s concerns after the investigation was concluded.

“Before the staff meeting, [Pierre] and another Black employee discovered a stuffed monkey carrying an American flag in Mr. Pierre’s work area. Mr. Pierre immediately reported the monkey incident to management and demanded the stuffed monkey be removed and that management review video footage and conduct an investigation into the matter; however, no corrective action was taken before the staff meeting,” the filing said.

The harassment from Watts and Shuman continued, the lawsuit alleged. Pierre felt like he was slighted, ignored, and given the most challenging tasks. He decided to quit about two weeks later.

The lawsuit is seeking, in part, punitive damages for Black and Haitian American employees due to the “malicious and reckless conduct” of the company.

Opinion

A democratic nation has been allowed to die – the UN has failed once more

Geoffrey Robertson
Sat, September 30, 2023 

Resident flee: The siege of Stepanakert was Guernica writ small 

- DAVID GHAHRAMANYAN/REUTERS

It happened quickly, the final invasion, and with hundreds of Orthodox Christians killed by the aggressors. Armenia, led by a one-time human rights lawyer, had no alternative but to save thousands of its people from death by surrendering their enclave at Nagorno-Karabakh to the brutal forces of Ilham Aliyev, dictator of Azerbaijan.

It was Russia, once again, that was principally to blame: it was given by a foolish UN Security Council the duty to keep the peace, but when Armenia condemned the invasion of Ukraine, Putin in revenge withdrew all protection of Nagorno-Karabakh and let the Azerbaijan army off its leash.

120,000 citizens are now at its mercy, being forced either to abandon their ancestral homes or else live under a tyranny that has fomented hatred against them for many years.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a small, mountainous country in the clouds, settled by Armenians for many centuries. It was the first in 301 AD to adopt Christianity.

Hundreds of Orthodox churches, and their ancient mysterious tombstones (many now defaced or demolished by the aggressors), attract visitors from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, who take the 6 hour road trek via Mount Ararat to Stepanakert, centre of the Karabakh’s democracy that was this week snuffed out. The trip is only 20 minutes by air from a modern airport. But planes have not flown for years because the Azeri government threatens to shoot them down.

The country fell to Russia in the early nineteenth century, and the demographic evidence from the first census of that time proves that it was all-Armenian and the area should have been allocated to this state when Stalin divided the territory in 1920. Instead, he gave it to Azerbaijan, and the mistake was not rectified until a civil war after the collapse of the USSR.

The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh – still the great majority of the population – voted first to join with Armenia (the wiser course) but then (courageously as they thought) opted for independence. The war had commenced with pogroms by Azeris in Sumgait and Baku. But in time a local Karabakh defence force took the upper hand. Fighting was brutal. With ethnic hate on both sides. The siege of Stepanakert during which Azeri forces killed several thousand in bombings of schools and hospitals, was Guernica writ small. The people only survived because of supplies brought on a narrow road - a humanitarian corridor - from Armenia, which Azerbaijan closed earlier this year.

Nagorno-Karabakh won the war by 1994 and declared, like Kosovo, its right to self-determination. For the next quarter-century it governed itself with help from Armenia. It did so, reasonably enough, with fair elections and democratic institutions like an independent judiciary - as I found when investigating the situation in the country for a court case in 2014. It was not, as many news reporters said last week, a country of “Armenian separatists” but of an Armenian people whose ancestors had lived in these highlands for centuries and who had fought for, and won, for a quarter of a century, the right to resist a brutal dictator. But there were many Azeri provocations at the border - the “line of control”.

The Security Council, quite absurdly, entrusted the enclave security to Russia which did not take its duties seriously and in 2020 the war broke out again. Armenia voted at the UN to condemn Russia for attacking Ukraine and in consequence Putin determined to end all support for it and to take revenge. The last straw came this month, when Armenia joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is prosecuting Putin for kidnapping Ukrainian children. Last week the Kremlin carpeted the Armenian ambassador and made what it described as a “harsh protest”: it threatened to withdraw its security mandated protection for Nagorno-Karabakh. When it did so, Azerbaijan invaded.

How should the UK react? Aliyev, like Putin, is guilty of the international crime of aggression, and this country should denounce this violation. Russia, too, should be condemned for betraying the duty imposed on it by the Security Council. We should certainly offer to take some of the many thousands of refugees: they are innocent victims of an international double-cross. They have every reason to fear persecution if they stay where they belong. Their political leaders are already being arrested.

As for the United Nations, Nagorno-Karabakh will be remembered as yet another reason why it is no longer fit for purpose. That purpose, its Charter reminds us, is to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” yet it cannot expel Russia (even were Putin to use nuclear weapons) which would veto its own expulsion, and it cannot even expel Azerbaijan for aggression (because Russia would veto the necessary Security Council recommendation).

The only way forward is to replace the United Nations, because its Security Council is not fit for purpose. It is incapable of reform, because Russia and China will veto reform. ‘Security” will only come from an international representative body with the moral, military, economic power to deter authoritarian aggression.

Geoffrey Robertson AO KC is a former UN war crimes judge and author of An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Now Remembers the Armenians?