Advertisement

Wolastoqey chiefs call for better government support for banishments

Click to play video: 'Wolastoqey chiefs call for better support for banishments'
Wolastoqey chiefs call for better support for banishments
Wolastoqey chiefs say both provincial and federal governments have failed to support the Oromocto First Nation following the death of Sheri Lynn Sabattis. They’re calling on authorities to provide more cooperative support and say that support might have saved her life. Anna Mandin reports – May 7, 2024

Six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick are calling on the provincial and federal governments to provide more support for First Nations banishing individuals.

This comes after Sheri Sabattis died on Oromocto First Nation on April 27. The chiefs say the man charged with second-degree murder in relation to her death was banished from the community by the council and Chief Shelley Sabattis, who is Sheri Sabattis’s sister.

“We no longer need a Band-Aid. We need a solution, we need legislation, and we need a law. That’s what we need as Indigenous people,” said Allan Polchies Jr., chief of St. Mary’s First Nation and one of the six Wolastoqey chiefs, during a Red Dress Day march in Fredericton on May 5.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Red Dress Day raises awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

Sabattis’s nephew carried a poster-sized picture of her during the march.

Story continues below advertisement

In a joint news release on May 3, the chiefs said requests for provincial and federal support to enforce laws passed by First Nations fell “on deaf ears, leaving us in a legal void.”

In his speech, Polchies Jr. called the lack of support ‘”systemic racism.”

New Brunswick’s attorney general, Ted Flemming, did not respond to a request for an interview.

New Brunswick RCMP declined an interview, but in an emailed statement, a spokesperson said enforcement of band council bylaws is multifaceted.

“As police, we have to work within the parameters of all our legal authorities and obligations to ensure investigations are conducted justly and fairly,” Cpl. Hans Ouellette wrote in the statement.

Sponsored content

AdChoices