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Justice for Colten rally speaks against racism

Rallies across the prairies – including in Saddle Lake - have been taking place as a symbol of support for the family of 22-year-old Colten Boushie of Red Pheasant First Nation, who was shot and killed on a rural Saskatchewan property on Aug. 9.
About a dozen people gathered at the turnoff to Saddle Lake from Highway 29 last week, holding a rally asking for justice for Colten Boushie, who was killed in a rural
About a dozen people gathered at the turnoff to Saddle Lake from Highway 29 last week, holding a rally asking for justice for Colten Boushie, who was killed in a rural Saskatchewan property on Aug. 9.

Rallies across the prairies – including in Saddle Lake - have been taking place as a symbol of support for the family of 22-year-old Colten Boushie of Red Pheasant First Nation, who was shot and killed on a rural Saskatchewan property on Aug. 9.

Although she has lived in Saddle Lake for over 25 years, Hilda Blackstar has roots in the North Battleford area, and still refers to Saskatchewan as “home.” Blackstar was among the group of about a dozen people who gathered on the corner of Highway 29 and Highway 652 on Thursday morning.

Blackstar says it was under the encouragement of Cynthia Lapatak that she decided to organize the rally on Thursday morning, in honour of Boushie.

“We want justice for Colten,” she says, citing the primary reason for organizing the rally. She adds, “In doing so, maybe we can get justice for all indigenous people.”

Blackstar says that from what she knows from the family, Boushie was an upstanding young man. He was involved in firefighting, and volunteered in the community.

On the same morning as the rally in Saddle Lake, 54-year-old Gerald Stanley made an appearance in a courtroom at the North Battleford Provincial Court Office in Saskatchewan to face a second-degree murder charge death in Boushie’s death, to which he pled not guilty.

Over 200 people reportedly gathered outside the courthouse, holding signs with anti-racism messages written. But rallies took place far beyond the borders of the city on Thursday, with several people showing signs expressing solidarity with Boushie.

In the rally along Highway 29 east of Saddle Lake, signs could be seen with “Justice for Colten” clearly written on cardboard panels. Drumming by Ferlin McGilvery could also be heard, and a somber mood was felt, as an unexpectedly cool wind blew through the area.

The details around Boushie’s death were first noted in an RCMP media release, following an Aug. 9 incident on Stanley’s property.

Boushie was a passenger in a car with four other people, with his family saying the group stopped at a farm near Biggar, Sask., to ask for help with a flat tire. The RCMP press release noted that the property owner confronted the five people in the vehicle and that a verbal exchange took place before a shot was fired, striking Boushie in the vehicle. Police originally said officers arrested a man, woman and girl who were in the car Tuesday as part of an ongoing theft investigation and that charges were still being considered with respect to some property-related offences. However, no charges were laid.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations was openly critical of the way the shooting death was initially described.

“The news release the RCMP issued the following day provided just enough prejudicial information for the average reader to draw their own conclusions that the shooting was somehow justified,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron in the release.

RCMP did hold a media conference in response to concerns about the press release, saying, “It is a priority for us to work to contribute to the long-term wellness and safety of Saskatchewan communities through an inclusive and culturally competent police service.”

Several messages of support also came in for Stanley, for instance, in a Facebook group called Saskatchewan Farmers, which sparked concerns about racist commentary. RCMP encouraged people to be mindful of what they are saying on social media, with RCMP Supt. Rob Cameron saying, “Over the past few days, there have been comments made on social media that are concerning and could be criminal in nature.”

Blackstar said she has been following news stories on the incident, and believes there are a number of issues at hand, such as how the other people in the car were treated when they were taken into custody. She too feels the initial RCMP media release reveals some “prejudice.”

Part of her goal in holding a rally was to create awareness about racism, as she says she hopes to “give people a voice, because so many issues are kept hidden.” She points to her own experience attending a residential school when she was a youth. She notes that afterward, no one spoke of his or her experience, until years later when the issue began to surface. Now, she and others who attended residential schools will speak about the issue, and share their experiences.

Blackstar says she doesn’t want the situation to escalate into riots. But instead, she wants to begin dealing with the issue of racism now.

“I want Canada to be the country it’s supposed to be. A democratic country where everyone is equal . . . I want a better future.”

Blackstar says she hopes this case opens people’s eyes to the issues that exist.

“I really believe it’s time people wake up.”


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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