Source: The Guardian
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/16/racial-tensions-flare-sasketchewan-shooting-indigenous-colten-boushie-first-nations
Farmer, 54 charged with second-degree murder of Colten Boushie, who was shot dead in a car in the Canadian province
After an afternoon spent swimming in a Saskatchewan river, five friends piled into the car for the 50-minute ride home.
As they headed to the Red Pheasant First Nation, a tyre blew out. They pulled into a nearby farm, hoping to find someone who could help them.
Their account of what happened next has ignited racial tensions in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and laid bare the divide that exists between some communities.
“All of a sudden some guy, he just came out and he just smashed our windshield,” said Eric Meechance, one of the car’s occupants.
Panicked and struggling to see past the cracked windshield, the driver tried to leave the farmyard. Instead, he struck a parked vehicle, Meechance told local radio station News Talk 650.
Meechance and the driver got out and ran for safety. Seconds later gunshots rang out. The farmer had a gun, Meechance told the Canadian Press. “He wasn’t shooting to scare us. He was shooting to kill.”
He later found out that his friend, Colten Boushie, 22, had been fatally shot in the vehicle.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the five friends were confronted after they drove on private property last Tuesday. A verbal exchange followed and a shot was fired, striking one of the people in the car.
A 54-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder and is expected to appear in court later this week.
Fundraising campaigns have raised thousands of dollars for those affected by the incident. A campaign to help Boushie’s family cover the cost of the funeral and related expenses has raised C$21,000 (£12,600), while another campaign has raised nearly C$14,000 to help the wife of the farmer accused of second-degree murder.
“Much of the farming community around us who know this family know they are loving and deserving of some help through a difficult time,” Tasha Dwayne wrote in explaining her decision to set up a GoFundMe page.
The tragedy has been aggravated by the RCMP’s response to the incident, say First Nation leaders, as well as a torrent of racist comments posted on social media.
One day after the shooting, the RCMP issued a news release stating that three occupants of the car had been taken into custody as part of a related theft investigation and another male was being sought. All were released without charges and the investigation is ongoing.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents more than 70 First Nations in Saskatchewan, called it a biased press release.
“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,” Chief Bobby Cameron said.
The organisation called for a review of the RCMP’s communication policies.
“The media’s initial portrayal of the event made the incident sound like a crime was about to be committed by the passengers in the car,” said Chief Clint Wuttunee, of the Red Pheasant First Nation, whose daughter was also in the car.
“The media based their reports on the RCMP’s news release.”
Within hours the RCMP responded, saying it was concerned about the claims of bias. “We will be reaching out to them,” said Rob Cameron, of the organisation. “We now have a chance to hear their concerns and work together and move forward.”
Robert Innes, a professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Saskatchewan, described the situation as a “real example of the racial tensions that exist in Saskatchewan”.
He pointed to widely held fears of rising crime rates, despite data showing that crime in Canada has been falling since the 1990s.
“And then you combine that with a fear and contempt for young Indigenous men and you mix those two together and you end up with a situation like this,” he said.
Boushie’s funeral was held on Saturday. As the family grieved for the loss of a young man who had been working to become a firefighter, social media and other forums were inundated with hate-filled comments.
Some took aim at First Nations, linking them to crimes, while others praised the idea of vigilante justice.
“His only mistake was leaving three witnesses,” wrote one person on a Facebook page for Saskatchewan farmers that has since been taken down. “He should have shot all five and been given a medal,” wrote another.
The Assembly of First Nations condemned the comments, calling it a sad day for the province.
“To see racist, derogatory comments about this young man and about First Nations people online and on social media in response to this tragedy is profoundly disturbing,” said the organisation’s national chief, Perry Bellegarde.
“They are racist, insensitive and ignorant. They are disheartening and a stark reminder of how much work we have to do to eliminate racism and discrimination.”
The steady stream of hate prompted Brad Wall, the premier of the province, to urge residents not to jump to conclusions before the RCMP completed its investigation.
“These comments are not only unacceptable, intolerant and a betrayal of the very values and character of Saskatchewan, they are dangerous,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “There are laws that protect citizens from what this kind of hate may foment. They will be enforced.”
The views being posted are not new, Innes said. The novelty is social media, which allows them to be shared readily.
“This is the attitude that permeates Saskatchewan and the prairie provinces. It is right below the surface. People keep it in check, they’re not open about it but it’s everywhere,” he said.
“I’m very disappointed and very concerned about the kind of message that its sending to our youth. But I’m not surprised.”