The six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick are appealing to the public for any leads on the disappearance of Erin Brooks, a woman from St. Mary’s First Nation who has been missing since late December.
Brooks, 38, was last seen at the St. Mary’s Smoke Shop on Fredericton’s Northside on the evening of Dec. 27. She was wearing blue jeans, a dark brown jacket and black boots. Police described her as five feet two inches or five feet three inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair with bangs.
Not much is known about her whereabouts, but Fredericton police said last week that they believe her to be the victim of foul play.
In a release, the Wolastoqey chiefs said their thoughts are with the Brooks family.
“The tragic disappearance or murder of our Indigenous women is a fear that many of us hold and one that is tragically rooted in reality for Indigenous people in Canada,” it said.
“Though disappearances of our women happen across this country, it is never an easy reality to swallow and hurts more with every new case.”
The chiefs are Chief Alan Polchies of St. Mary’s First Nation, Chief Ross Perley of Tobique First Nation, Chief Patricia Bernard of Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, Chief Gabriel Atwin of Kingsclear First Nation, Chief Shelly Sabattis of Oromocto First Nation and Chief Tim Paul of Woodstock First Nation.
The release noted that Indigenous women are disproportionately victims of violent crime, and violent crimes involving Indigenous women are less likely to be solved by police.
According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada, just 53 per cent of murder cases in their database have been solved, compared to 84 per cent of all cases across Canada.
“Statistics Canada reported that the self-identification of being Indigenous alone is a noted risk factor for women that isn’t as present for men,” the release added.
“These are only some of the dire statistics readily available on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. We continue to pray that Erin Brooks does not become another one of those statistics.”
The chiefs called for the federal government to implement its action plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The action plan itself was released in June 2021, but the release from the Wolastoqey chiefs said “concrete action has been slow moving and time is not on our side as our women and girls continue to disappear.”
“These are mothers and daughters who are missed dearly and continue to be (at) risk,” it said. “We need action now to save them from further harm.”
In an interview at the end of January, Brooks’ sister Morgan Henderson said her family hadn’t seen her since Dec. 25, two days before she was last seen.
She said they just want to see her come home safely.
“If she’s afraid to come home after all this time, don’t be, because the pain that we’re going through and not knowing where she is, if she’s OK, it’s horrible,” Henderson said.
“This is awful. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
— with files from Karla Renić
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