Global Courant
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.
The Haven Dubois family marches on a mission to the nation’s capital.
Haven Dubois, 14, drowned in Pilot Butte Creek, on the east side of Regina, during a school day in 2015. A coroner’s report said his death was accidental and cited marijuana use as a contributing factor.
On Tuesday, Haven’s 23rd birthday, his family set out on foot for Ottawa, where they will call for a national inquiry into missing, murdered and neglected Indigenous boys, men and two-minded people.
“The time has come. It’s long past for an investigation,” said family spokesman Robyn Pitawanakwat Tuesday morning at a media event.
“It’s not enough to just look at Saskatchewan or Regina. It has to be across the country. Indigenous men and boys and two-minded people are incredibly vulnerable in our systems and in the world. As long as we keep ignoring it, it’s just going to go (exacerbate).”
The national investigation into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls took more than three years to complete, from the preliminary investigation that began in December 2015 to its conclusion in June 2019.
The final report, published on June 3, 2019, listed 231 calls for justice, many of which were directed at government agencies. The federal government has since national action plan and reports thereon annually progress in answering the calls for justice.
The family marches to Ottawa to call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous boys, men and two-spirits. They hope that others will meet them in the country’s capital. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)
The Dubois family is calling on others to form their own marches and meet them in Ottawa to push for the national inquiry in greater numbers, Pitawanakwat said.
Supporters along the family’s route are welcome to join during the day, but the family has asked them not to camp with them overnight, she added.
The trip from Regina is estimated to take about two months, depending on factors such as weather and traffic, she said.
The march will end at the headquarters of the Assembly of First Nations, which represents First Nations people across Canada, Dubois family member Avery Snell said. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)
Dubois family member Avery Snell said the march will end at the headquarters of the Assembly of First Nations, a national organization that represents First Nations people across the country.
The goal, Snell said, is to push for the need to hold health authorities accountable for their treatment of Indigenous peoples.
“No one should ever have to worry about getting proper care into the hands of healthcare professionals, and no one should ever have to watch their loved ones suffer when they are most vulnerable,” she said.
“Our family has watched the health system fail and the consequences become tragic.”
Pasqua First Nation Chief Todd Peigan and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations grand Chief Bobby Cameron, whose organization represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, attended Tuesday’s event and expressed their respective support.
The Dubois family started the march on Tuesday, the 23rd anniversary of Haven Dubois. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)
“There are thousands going through the same situation — not knowing where your loved one is, you don’t have that closure, you don’t have a proper funeral, the list goes on,” Cameron said.
“No mother should ever have to go through that.”
Sask. Coroners Service launches judicial investigation
The Dubois family has been calling for further investigation into what happened to Haven for years, including a months-long camp outside the Saskatchewan legislature in 2018.
Now they will get it.
Richelle Dubois, mother of Haven Dubois, has pushed for years for further investigation into what happened to her son in 2015. (Laura Sciarpelletti/CBC)
Saskatchewan chief coroner Clive Weighill met with Richelle Dubois, Haven’s mother, and her lawyers last month. He reviewed the file and decided to investigate, a Justice Department spokesman told CBC News.
Weighill informed Dubois last week that there would be an investigation, the spokesman said.
The family was told it would begin next year, Pitawanakwat said.
Regina police ruled out foul play during the initial investigation, but the family was concerned that Haven was being intimidated by gangs and being bullied at school months before his death.
If you or someone you know needs immediate emotional help, call 1-844-413-6649. This is a national, toll-free 24/7 crisis hotline that provides support to anyone in need of emotional help related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
