APTN National News
Ghislain Picard, Matthew Coon Come and Viviane Michel will be the lead witnesses in Québec’s inquiry into the province’s relationship with Indigenous peoples.
The inquiry was called after news surfaced of alleged abuse of Indigenous women at the hands of the province’s police force, the Sûreté du Québec.
The hearings will start June 5, according to a schedule released by the commission.
Picard, the regional Quebec chief for the Assembly of First Nations, has been pushing for the inquiry after the allegations were uncovered.
Coon Come is the grand chief of the grand council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and Michel is president of the Quebec Native Women’s Association.
The hearings will begin in Val D’Or.
The complete calendar of hearings for the month of June is as follows:
Monday June 5: Opening ceremony, Commissioner’s declaration of opening and Viviane Michel, President (Quebec Native Women)
Tuesday June 6: Chief Ghislain Picard (AFNQL) and Grand Chief Verna Polson (Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council)
Wednesday June 7: Chief Adrienne Jérôme (Anishinabe Nation of Lac Simon)
Thursday June 8: Édith Cloutier, Executive Director (Centre d’amitié Autochtone de Val-d’Or) and Tanya Sirois, Executive Director (Regroupement des centres d’amitié autochtones du Québec)
Monday June 12: Widia Larivière, Education and Cooperation Officer (Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission) and Daniel Salée (Concordia University)
Tuesday June 13: Representatives from Quebec Public Services
Wednesday June 14: Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come (Grand Council of the Crees Eeyou Istchee) and representatives from Quebec Public Services
Thursday June 15: Pierre Lepage (Anthropologist), Me Marie-Chantale Brassard and Me Patrick Michel (Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions)
Monday June 19: Grand Chief Constant Awashish (Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw) and Carole Lévesque (Institut national de la recherche scientifique)
Tuesday June 20: Me Maryse Picard (Expert witness), Pierre Corbeil (Mayor of Val-d’Or) and Paul-Antoine Martel (City of Val-d’Or)
Anyone wishing to participate in the inquiry by clicking here – or calling toll free 1 844 580-0113.
