Students march in support of Stonechild report

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More than 150 students from the University of Saskatchewan, First Nations University of Canada and Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies gathered together in the frosty morning hours of Nov. 19 to take part in a march for justice.

Students from the three schools walked to the Saskatoon Police Service building to show their support for Stonechild Inquiry Chief Commissioner Judge David Wright and Saskatoon Police Chief Russell Sabo.

In his report from the inquiry, released on Oct. 26, Judge Wright concluded that 17-year-old Neil Stonechild had been in the custody of Saskatoon Police Service constables Larry Hartwig and Bradley Senger on Nov. 24, 1990, five days before his frozen body was found in an industrial area on the outskirts of Saskatoon.

On Nov. 12 Sabo announced the firing of the two constables for not "diligently and promptly" disclosing information that Stonechild had been in their custody.

As the marchers gathered in front of the police station, a number of people took turns addressing the crowd, presenting a message that although the inquiry and its findings are a start, there is still much to be done regarding policing, healing and fighting racism.

Rachelle Fiddler, one of the organizers of the march, is a third year student at the University of Saskatchewan.

"We're bringing awareness to the whole issue," she said. "There have been demonstrations in support of the Saskatoon police, and we thought it was fair to give ourselves and our supporters a chance to voice themselves and show how they feel. We're supporting the people who have made the decisions, the police chief, Russell Sabo, and Judge Wright of the inquiry. We've begun to see changes.

"I was demonstrating here last year for the young girl from Melfort who was raped by three men, and they all got away with it," she said, referring to a case involving the sexual assault of a 12-year-old Cree girl. Two of the accused in the case were acquitted and one was found guilty but received a conditional sentence and no jail time. Those rulings are being appealed, with the case scheduled to be heard by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal next year.

"A year later I'm protesting almost for the opposite thing, thankful that something has happened and someone's brought awareness to these issues," Fiddler said.

Fiddler sees the divisions in the community and amongst those in positions of power and knows there is much to do.

"The head of the Saskatoon police union, Stan Goertzen, is quoted as saying we should move on. We have the mayor saying similar comments-move on. In contrast, an article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix from a police officer said the exact opposite, that it's time Aboriginal people are not seen as disposable."

Rob Kakakaway, also a student, said the march was held to support the Stonechild family.

"Neil's been gone 14 years, and we'd like to see him rest in peace. We want to see this over just as much as anyone else. We're just wanting to know who is going to be held accountable for Neil's death. This is no witch hunt. We're not condemning the police. As long as appeals by the police go on, this issue is never going to go away. But we've been at it for 500 years and if we've learned anything, it's patience. If we have to wait another 14 years to resolve this thing, we will."

Lawrence Joseph, Vice-Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and one of the speakers at the rally, is very proud of the students for organizing the march and hopes that future students won't have to march to raise awareness.

"The message the administrators of justice of the future, the students of this university, are giving us is to be respectful," he said. "This march is a very good sign that the entire community, not only First Nations people, are fed up with the lack of respect for Justice Wright, the commission report and the police chief's handling of this case. It's time that we pulled together an the students are sending that message to us very clearly. I've always said at least 95 per cent of the police officers are willing and able to do the work they are mandated to do, but there are those who are still taking the spotlight from those of us who are trying to bring a workable solution to these atrocities that continue to occur. They are disrespecting authority, disrespecting their own justice system."

Reveremd Frances Deverell, a Unitarian minister in Saskatoon, marched with some of her congregation. "Our congregation is located on Idylwyld Drive, the line between the east and the west in the city," she said, "and we could be a bridge, a healing presence in the community. We have to seriously address the problems with the police. There has to be a real transformation of attitude. It's not just in Saskatoon, it's all across the country. We were having the same discussions in Toronto two years ago."

Sheila Steele operates a Web site, injusticebusters.com, which she and Richard Klassen started in 1998. Klassen recently received compensation from the provincial government for being maliciously prosecuted during the early 1990s. He and members of his family had been falsely accussed of abusing foster children intheir care.

"The signs say it all," Klassen said, referring to some of the placards being carried by marchers. "Justice Wright was right."

Steele sees both the Stonechild Inquiry and the inquiry into the Klassen case as good news.

"We have these opportunities now to get the real story out," she said, "of what's been happening to us ordinary people while the police have been going their own way."

She sees the damage that a few bad apples in the police department have done.

"We're going to have some damage to undo and we can't just say 'They've changed.' We have to see it demonstrated."

Jason Roy, who testified during the inquiry to seeing Stonechild in the back of police cruiser the night he was last seen alive, said how glad e was to see everyone out and thanked them for the support. Yvonne House, who works at the First Nations University of Canada, was passionate in her words to the gathering. "There are three generations of my family here," she said, "and I hope my grandchildren will not have to be standing in front of the police station saying 'I want justice.'"