Protesters say justice camp in Regina will stay up following meeting with provincial ministers

A view of some of the teepees standing by the legislature at the Justice for our Stolen Children camp on July 1. (SRC)

Campers say government was given a number of paradigm shifting conditions

CBC News, July 3, 2018

The Justice For Our Stolen Children camp at Wascana Park near the Saskatchewan legislature will remain standing, according to representatives.

Spokespeople talked to the media Tuesday after a recent meeting with ministers from the provincial government.

Justice Minister Don Morgan, Minister of Social Services Paul Merriman and Minister Responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission (which includes Wascana Park) Ken Cheveldayoff met with campers on Monday in Fort Qu’Appelle, at the Treaty 4 signing ground.

On Tuesday morning, campers outlined a number of “paradigm shifting” conditions they laid out for the government in the meeting, including a moratorium on adoptions and a review of permanent and long-term wards of social services in the province.

Three Regina Police Service officers carried a protester to a police vehicle when police dismantled the camp in June. It has since been rebuilt. (CBC)

Several people from the camp were present at Monday’s meeting, including Prescott Demas, Robyn Pitawanakwat of Colonialism No More and Richelle Dubois, mother of Haven Dubois, who has been outspoken about concerns with the investigation into her 14-year-old son’s death. Debbie Baptiste, Colten Boushie’s mother, spoke about how she was treated by both law enforcement and the court system.

The camp was set up in Regina 126 days ago, after the acquittals of Gerald Stanley and Raymond Cormier in the deaths of Boushie and Tina Fontaine.

The camp began with one teepee. On June 18, police arrested some of the protesters and the camp was taken down. Protesters rebuilt the camp three days later on National Indigenous Peoples Day. It has since grown to 12 teepees.

The camp is set to meet with the ministers again in two weeks. Demas said the future of the camp would be evaluated depending on the results of that discussion. In the meantime, he said more teepees are welcome at the camp.

Campers said they asked the government not to remove the camp but that request did not get an official response.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/justice-camp-provide-update-meeting-1.4731824

 

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