Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 60 • Issue 47
Thompson safety officer who punched Indigenous woman in RCMP detachment Book a face waycharges: to preserve pass on should MKOand grand chief
memories of growing up in Churchill
January 2018, the incident City of Thompson have to did not come to public atten- assert their outrage and The head of an organiza- tion until CBC obtained the condemn this act and they tion representing 26 North- surveillance video from the should make sure that jusern Manitoba First Nations RCMP detachment through tice is served,” said Settee, says a video of a Thompson a court application. who had a meeting with the community safety officer Garson was removing City of Thompson to dispunching and knocking clothing items while super- cuss the incident Nov. 17. out a 19-year-old woman vised by the male communThe lack of transparency from Tataskweyak Cree Na- ity safety officers and a fe- surrounding the incident, tion in 2018 is “appalling” male RCMP officer in the which occurred before and that it took so long to processing area of the cell Thompson’s current mayor, come to light is evidence block when she appeared council and city manager that actions lag behind to strike one of the safety or the current commandwords when it comes to officers with her belt. The ing officer of the Thompson reconciliation. officer then punched Gar- RCMP detachment were in Manitoba Keewatinowi son and her head hit the their positions, concerns Okimakanak (MKO) Grand wall and she fell to the floor Settee. The city said in a Chief Garrison Settee told unconscious. Her pants press release Nov. 10 that it the Thompson Citizen that were then removed by the didn’t learn of the incident the way Genesta Garson RCMP officer and she was until informed by Manitoba was treated in the Thomp- dragged by her arms into Justice seven months after son RCMP detachment af- one of the holding cells. the fact while the Manitoba ter being detained on suspi- She was again pushed to the RCMP commanding officer cion of public intoxication floor when she tried to leave said the same day that the robbed her of her dignity the holding cell before the force would look into offiand that the failure of the exiting officers closed the cers’ actions on the day of RCMP or the city to make door behind them. Garson the incident and afterwards the matter public until CBC remained in the cell for 15 to determine what could obtained the video of the minutes until paramedics have been done better. incident through the courts arrived and transported her “People knew that it hapvictimized her further. on a stretcher to Thompson pened within positions of “This woman was hu- General Hospital for treat- authority but they failed to miliated and she was de- ment. Hospital records from notify our organization and humanized because of the that visit show that Garson that is appalling because way they handled the situ- had a cut on her lip, bruis- our organization has tried ation,” Settee said. ing on her chin and the side to work with the city,” said Garson is suing the City of her head and that she had Settee. “It’s tried to work of Thompson, the RCMP, lost consciousness for about in the spirit of reconciliathe Attorney General of 10 seconds. tion and then also working Canada, former communAlthough the RCMP said together on the Thompson ity safety officers Garrett a review of the incident did Urban Aboriginal Strategy. Allen and Thomas War- not lead to criminal char- If this path to reconciliation kentin as well as RCMP ges, Settee said he felt they is to continue there have to Const. Jenelle Hulan, over were warranted. be some things that need to Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham the incident, which her “If it happened in any be done in order to restore Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. lawsuit alleges was partly other environment, charges this reconciliation. The Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham due to discrimination. The would be laid,” the grand lines of communication BY IAN GRAHAM For all theseen harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Grand Chief Garrison Settee, here at an Intoxicated Persons De- chief said. “I think there have to be strong.” EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar event remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in October, says a tention Act (IPDA), which should be consequences Manitoba NDP justice Though she’s now I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just fi nd somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it 2018 video of a safety officer punching a woman in the Thompson RCMP detachment was allows police andwritten other when for such acts of violence critic Nahanni Fontaine a book about her experienDeMeulles wrote grandchildren really until landed and toorganization live. been viable would designated officers to detain regardless a blowthe to plane reconciliation effortseasier that his has madehad with the City of she Thompson ofsaid whoshe does it.” my told CBC that the minister ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchpeople without formally arHe also said that the of justice should use his and the RCMP in recent years. Addictions of the Stories from don’t.” under the Police fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. resting themFoundation if they believe CityWind: of Thompson and the the Ipowers Manitoba director North in Churchill for Services She alsoAct has to a reputation I was probably Police sitting should just leave,’ quite or“I matters miss the before shoreline, that they northern are intoxicated, RCMP- Life should apologize order an cats, the WPS (Winnipeg tice Minister Cliff isCullen theI Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss is used predominantly to Garson and her family investigation. Service) … to do an inves- refused to do an interview courts. He also declinedthe to ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If wehappened were in the bears even though against Indigenous people and make it clear that such “I want the justice min- tigation first and foremost,” about what to polar respond to Fontaine’s realways thought she would you know what, this his- tory I would people spurred boat in another area they’re very dangerous in Thompson. actions won’t be tolerated. ister and to assign an tell independshe said. her on was the same Garson because he can’t quest for him to orderand an do.Although it occurred in tory, this stuff that’s in my hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, “Both the RCMP and the ent policing institution like CBC said Manitoba Jus- comment on specific cases investigation. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
“In my youth I never felt good at writing,” she said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Railif I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population Contact she’s an artist,Nelson she’s got so at 204-307-0281 Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family to discuss your property needs! Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
Yer snow gotta go!
about that so why don’t they have the option to do that? I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
Bay,” she says. “When I go back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”