Demanding Justice for Colten Boushie: An Open Letter from Canadian Social Workers & Social Work Students
- by: Social Workers and Social Work Students from the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University
- recipient: Hon. Don Morgan, Q.C. (Saskatchewan Minister of Justice) Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P. (Federal Minister of Justice, Canada) Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. (Prime Minister)
Demanding Justice for Colten Boushie:
An Open Letter from Social Workers & Social Work Students
The verdict declaring Mr. Stanley "not guilty" in the murder of Colten Boushie has raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the judicial process by citizens all over Canada. We take a stand against the acquittal of Mr. Stanley and support the family and community of Colten Boushie in demanding that justice is served.
The shooting by Mr. Stanley and subsequent legal proceedings, which have not held Mr. Stanley accountable for the murder, is evidence of Canadian "…political [and] legal… structures rooted in colonialism, [operating] to systemically privilege White settler Canadians while oppressing Indigenous peoples" (Gurski, 2017, p.15). Particularly, the process of jury selection, which disregarded Indigenous representation, brings into question the commitments to reconciliation, which is the work of all levels of government.
Furthermore, harmful and racist stereotypes perpetuated throughout the judicial process, exacerbated by mainstream media, have gravely impacted the rights of the Boushie family in their quest for justice. Such stereotyping also detracts attention from the inappropriate handling of Mr. Stanley's case and the inherent flaws in the legal system. This includes an RCMP search (without a warrant) of Mr. Boushie's mother's home following the shooting, portraying the family as criminals, not victims. Further disturbing, was the internal investigation that cleared the officers of any wrongdoing (CBC, 2018).
In keeping with our Commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Social Workers and Social Work Students raise our voices in solidarity with the family and community of Colten Boushie in the demand for justice. We declare our complete opposition to the acquittal of Gerald Stanley and view this as a direct form of colonial structural violence that has characterized settler-Indigenous relations in this land since contact. We join with thousands of other Canadians and First Peoples of this land to demand:
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That the verdict delivered by the Battleford Queen's Bench Jury be expediently overturned.
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That a full and independent inquiry be held into all aspects of Gerald Stanley's trial, including jury selection and how implicit and explicit racism was present throughout the investigation process, leading to the travesty of justice which occurred on February 9, 2018.
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We further demand that the Government of Canada implement with expediency Call to Action 42 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada:
We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems in a manner consistent with the Treaty and Aboriginal rights of Aboriginal peoples, the Constitution Act, 1982, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, endorsed by Canada in November 2012. (TRC, 2015)
For more information: http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Background:
Over 2013 Alberta Social Workers signed a Letter of Commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada from Alberta Social Workers. This letter was submitted both verbally and materially at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Hearing in Calgary on November 5, 2013. In 2017, the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) signed a Statement of Complicity and Commitment to Change to ensure that social work education in Canada contributes to transforming Canada's colonial reality.
For more information: http://www.acsw.ab.ca/document/1369/advocate_spring_2014_.pdf
Other Online Petitions Seeking Justice for the Boushie family:
https://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/justice-for-colten-boushie
https://www.change.org/p/supreme-court-of-canada-justice-for-colten-boushie
Days of Action Gatherings & Locations:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2034916356793596/
References
Boushie family appeals RCMP's internal investigation. (2018). Retrieved 15 February 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/colten-boushie-rcmp-investigation-appeal-1.4535878
Gurski, K. J. (2017). Guilty by design: A critical race analysis of the over-incarceration of Indigenous Peoples in an era of reconciliation (Doctoral dissertation). University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
TRC. (2015).
Contacts for the petition:
lakloren@ucalgary.ca (Liza Lorenzetti, Assistant Professor, and Activist, University of Calgary)
zermeena.durrani@ucalgary.ca (Meena Durrani, BSW Student, University of Calgary)
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