InFocus
The acquittal of Raymond Cormier is still fresh in the minds of many who were hoping for justice for Tina Fontaine and there are still a lot of questions on what will happen next.
We put the Raymond Cormier trial and legacy of Tina Fontaine InFocus with Manitoba MLA Bernadette Smith, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North and advocate and activist Pam Palmater.
Fontaine’s legacy includes the Drag the Red initiative, the re-emergence of the Bear Clan Patrol, changes to Manitoba’s child welfare system and an increased push for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“Literally, if you look at her, she’s everyone’s daughter, cousin, our children. Every time you look at her you think, especially those of us that have children, that could have been one of our children,” said Palmater. “And I think the fact she helped galvanize Indigenous peoples across the country, but not just indigenous people she drew media attention to the crisis.
Grand Chief North says she told Fontaine’s primary caregiver, Thelma Favel, “that I hope that you find comfort in knowing that Tina’s life now is a representation of all of us needing to come together to do more for our communities.
North also echoed what Fontaine’s death meant for the rest of Canada.
“That starts with her life but it expands to what Indigenous people have been saying all these years and it seems like that unfortunately through this little girl that the rest of Canada is starting to pay attention,” she said.
The open season on Indigenous carries on from Edward Cornwallis, Halifax. Cornwallis is a controversial figure because he issued the so-called scalping proclamation, offering a cash bounty to anyone who killed a Mi’kmaw person. That reward today comes in form of “not guilty” for anyone who kills an Indigenous person. There were so cases with Ingenuous people being killed in the past, that even with overwhelming evidence to convict the of murderer, such is not the case when it comes to Indigenous victims. In a normal court of justice (one that is presided in the absence of racism, especially a fair and cross selection non-white and white jury members) it would be safe to say that the result in the cases, including Colten and Tina should have been “guilty” as charged. Because of this open season, Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine will not be the last of Indigenous people that will be killed. The black robes of justice and predominately white juries will ensure that anyone killing an Indigenous person will be protected by judicial immunity from being found “guilty”. There is justice, and there is justice, just for us.
The open season on Indigenous carries on from Edward Cornwallis, Halifax. Cornwallis is a controversial figure because he issued the so-called scalping proclamation, offering a cash bounty to anyone who killed a Mi’kmaw person. That reward today comes in form of “not guilty” for anyone who kills an Indigenous person. There were so cases with Ingenuous people being killed in the past, that even with overwhelming evidence to convict the of murderer, such is not the case when it comes to Indigenous victims. In a normal court of justice (one that is presided in the absence of racism, especially a fair and cross selection non-white and white jury members) it would be safe to say that the result in the cases, including Colten and Tina should have been “guilty” as charged. Because of this open season, Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine will not be the last of Indigenous people that will be killed. The black robes of justice and predominately white juries will ensure that anyone killing an Indigenous person will be protected by judicial immunity from being found “guilty”. There is justice, and there is justice, just for us.