Indigenous Environmental Justice and Activism & Indigenous Testimony/io Oral Testimony (2012)

Jeannie de Vries, Michele Pineault and Lorelei Williams all suffered the grief of losing family members whose remains were later found on the Picton family farm in Port Coquitlam, BC.  Each speak to  the experience of having a family member go missing, and to later learn of their murder. Loss of mother, daughter, auntie, and other family members are reflected upon.  Mentioned is the “grief that never goes away’”, and raising children of those murdered.  To spread awareness about violence to aboriginal girls and women is a goal of the three interviewees. 

Jenna La France talks about traditional aboriginal approach to environment and the land, compared to consumerist mentality that does not have a relationship with the land. She also speaks about multinational corporations destroying the land for profit, or relocation people for mega hydro electric projects, and how little control citizens have over it. Discusses Enbridge’s ‘clean and green’ motto and how the oil sands project promotes jobs, but the reality is these projects only pollute the land and create disease, and when people protest, they are put in jail.  

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip (Seal Nation) is in his fifth third year term as president and has taken a prime role as an aboriginal title and rights supporter. Chief Stewart talks about the Missing Women’s Inquiry and how the fact that there is very little aboriginal representation, speaks to the loss and the dismissal that aboriginal people have suffered at the hands of government. He speaks about the Inquiry’s provincial governments  terms of reference and the Frank Paul Inquiry. The Highway of Tears and all the other missing and murdered aboriginal people in Canada are evidence of the lack of a governmental effort to protect aboriginal women. 

Karen Mirsky, Director of PACE (Providing Alternative and Counseling Education for survival sex workers in Vancouver) describes what PACE’s role is and how the agency assists over 300 survival sex workers in the community. PACE was one of 13 downtown eastside organizations that were originally granted standing to testify in the Missing Women’s Inquiry. The Missing Women’s Inquiry was put together in 2011, as a public forum evaluating the Vancouver Police and Coquitlam RCMP’s handling of 62 women missing in the downtown eastside and murdered by Robert Pickton. Mirsky reveals why PACE decided to pull out of the Missing Women’s Inquiry, as did 12 other agencies that served the needs of women in the downtown eastside, and how the difficult decision came about. Results of the Missing Women’s Inquiry were made to the public on December 17, 2012.  

Sean Kirkham, Director of Canadian Foundation for Creative Development (CFCDI), and Innovation, talks about the services the foundation offers to those in need in the communities of Vancouver. Art therapy, restorative justice, and commissioning local artists with a focus on bringing awareness to social injustice issues, and supporting local events centered on aboriginal cultural awareness, are just a few. One of the projects CFCDI is currently working on is called the ‘Living Memorial Stones’ project, which honours and commemorates the 62 stolen lives of missing and murdered women on the downtown east side, by laying 4” x 4” bronze plaques around city sidewalks. Sean talks about his past role with ‘Butterflies in Spirit,’ and the valuable community work they do, bringing awareness about violence to aboriginal girls and women. He states that CFCDI’s goal is to offer critical support services to those in need through education and mentorship  by working in conjunction with local artists and healthcare professionals.

West Coast Leaf, is an organization in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, that legally supports discriminated and marginalized women. They were originally granted standing to participate in the Missing Women’s Inquiry by Commissioner Wally Oppal, and decided to present their case with B.C. Ending Violence Association. West Coast Leaf’s Legal Director, Laura Track speaks about the experience of intending to participate in the inquiry, along with 12 other organizations, and being denied legal representation by the Provincial Government.  She adds how vital it would have been to the inquiry, providing details of discrimination that occurred by legal authorities, to the friends and families of the missing women. Track adds that the lack of funding by the provincial government speaks of the overall lack of commitment, in protecting and supporting discriminated and marginalized women in B.C.  

Kate Gibson is the Executive Director of  WISH drop-in center society in Vancouver, BC., whose mission is “to improve the health, safety and well being of women working in the sex trade in Vancouver.” She discusses why WISH pulled out of the Inquiry, mainly because they were denied funding by the government.

Byron Joseph speaks about traditional aboriginal’s relationship to the land compared to multinational corporations that are only concerned with profit. It harms the ecosystem. There is discussion around China needing our tar sands bitumen for energy needs.  

Retired Registered Psychiatric nurse Bonnie Fournier speaks candidly about the Missing Women’s inquiry that had just wrapped up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Fournier talks about possible final recommendations that Commissioner Wally Oppal might bring forward, as well as opening up about what it was like to have worked on the streets of the downtown eastside (dtes), knowing Robert Pickton’s  murder victim’s, being invited to offer testimony at the Missing Women’s Inquiry, and then being told she was no longer needed. Fournier talks about Coquitlam RCMP Constable Jim Brown’s implications of pornography featuring scenes of violence toward women treatment of women. Other topics such as living conditions of people living in the dtes and survival sex workers, police conduct, and compassionate care for people suffering from drug addictions.

Retired Registered Psychiatric nurse Bonnie Fournier speaks candidly about the Missing Women’s inquiry that had just wrapped up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Fournier talks about possible final recommendations that Commissioner Wally Oppal might bring forward, as well as opening up about what it was like to have worked on the streets of the downtown eastside (dtes), knowing Robert Pickton’s  murder victim’s, being invited to offer testimony at the Missing Women’s Inquiry, and then being told she was no longer needed. Fournier talks about Coquitlam RCMP Constable Jim Brown’s implications of pornography featuring scenes of violence toward women treatment of women. Other topics such as living conditions of people living in the dtes and survival sex workers, police conduct, and compassionate care for people suffering from drug addictions.