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Wegner
inquiry highlights simmering race issues, Doug Cuthand, Saskatoon
StarPhoenix column, February 22, 2002 | Project
P: Designed to steal people's computers | Stealing
satellite dishes | Spying on citizens
| Other questionable searches
| The Cory
Patterson story | Herman Kaglik
| Saskatoon Police story index
| Tisdale | Wegner
| Wilson
Nepoose and other issues from 1999 that have not been addressed.
Gangsta profiling
| Stonechild |
FSIN
angers Mounties: Strongly-worded letter sent to FSIN headquarters
Jason Warick, Saskatoon
StarPhoenix, Feb. 22, 2002
Saskatchewan's commanding RCMP
officer is "deeply disturbed and upset" by statements
made last week by a Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations
vice-chief who condemned the police investigation into Lawrence
Wegner's death.
In a strongly worded letter
obtained Thursday by The StarPhoenix, F Division commanding officer
J.G. Harper Boucher says he felt compelled to respond to Lawrence
Joseph's "most inappropriate comments."
Joseph told reporters last
week that the RCMP and city police "bungled" the Wegner
investigation.
"The RCMP cannot and should
not be trusted by First Nations people and marginalized people,"
Joseph said.
He also said there are "gaping
and open wounds" in the aboriginal community, which feels
it is not treated the same as the rest of society. He said many
aboriginal people don't report crimes because they don't feel
anything will be done.
Joseph criticized specifics
of the RCMP's Wegner investigation, such as why no police officers
were asked to take a polygraph, although other witnesses were.
Wegner's frozen body was found
on the southern outskirts of the city in early 2000 in the same
area and around the same time as another aboriginal man who was
found frozen to death. Two city police officers were jailed after
another Native man complained they dropped him off on a cold
winter night in that area of the city.
In Boucher's letter, written
to FSIN Chief Perry Bellegarde Feb. 15, he says Joseph's comments
will strain relationships between RCMP and the aboriginal community.
"Vice-chief Joseph is
openly promoting mistrust of the RCMP by First Nations and marginalized
people. I take some comfort in knowing there are many aboriginal
people who do not share his thoughts," writes Boucher.
Boucher wonders how Joseph
can judge the quality of the RCMP investigation, considering
Joseph never attended this month's inquest into Wegner's death.
"I am very interested
in knowing how he reached his conclusion . . . and ask that you
provide me with that information as soon as possible," Boucher
writes to Bellegarde.
Boucher notes all of the joint
projects between the FSIN and the RCMP, and says the RCMP is
committed to working with them and all First Nations communities.
"I am asking you to take
whatever action you must to correct this situation," Boucher
writes. "I look forward to a response from you and hope
we can meet to resolve these differences."
The letter is carbon-copied
to two other RCMP officers and to Joseph.
RCMP spokesperson Heather Russell
said Boucher doesn't want to comment on the letter. He told Russell
it is a private letter and speaks for itself.
Bellegarde has passed the matter
on to Joseph, as Joseph handles the justice portfolio for the
federation, said FSIN communications director Darcy McKenzie.
Joseph's only comment, according
to McKenzie, is, "My comments with respect to the whole
issue stand as is."
Joseph doesn't want to say
any more until he speaks with the other chiefs around the province,
McKenzie said.
© Copyright 2002 Saskatoon
StarPhoenix
Wegner inquiry highlights simmering
race issues
Doug Cuthand, Saskatoon
StarPhoenix column, February 22, 2002
The month-long inquest into
the death of Lawrence Wegner was a failure that only served to
illustrate the two solitudes that exist in Saskatoon and across
this province.
Wegner was a student at the
Saskatchewan Indian Federated College who fought mental illness
and drug addiction. His frozen body was found outside Saskatoon
two years ago. No cause of death was determined and an inquest
was called.
Three of the six member jury
were aboriginal and the aboriginal community packed the courtroom
as it came out to support the family. For a while it appeared
that they might find out what happened to Wegner, but it became
clear that police were more interested in protecting themselves
than digging for the truth.
It almost became a crime in
itself to come forward with evidence linking the police to the
questionable death. As far as the Saskatoon Police Service was
concerned, Wegner was the author of his own misfortune and the
police lawyer attacked every witness who presented evidence that
placed his clients in a questionable light.
Two aboriginal women came forward
during the inquest and stated that they had seen two police officers
place Wegner in a patrol car. They were from his reserve and
recognized him. One of the witnesses even stated that she could
identify one of the police officers.
The lawyer for the police attacked
them over the fact that they had taken so long to come forward.
They both replied that they feared what police might do to them.
This statement is a telling
and damning indictment of Native-police relations in Saskatoon.
Police violence is known among our people. Allegations that they
were dumping our people at the edge of town came as no surprise.
It's been going on for years. The police refer to it as a starlight
tour.
Another witness, Dwaine Sutherland,
went to the police and told them he saw Wegner being placed in
a patrol car. The investigating RCMP told him to take a polygraph
and that, if he failed, he could receive a five-year jail sentence.
Sutherland naturally refused, because he feared his nervousness
or some error in the machine that was beyond his control might
cause a negative reading.
Yet, none of the police who
were interviewed or gave evidence were subject to a polygraph.
This double-standard brings into question the appropriateness
of police investigating the police.
Earlier this year, the inquest
into the death of Rodney Naistus was inconclusive. Naistus was
found frozen at the edge of the city under similar circumstances.
The previous case of Darrell
Night reinforces this issue. Night charged that police had taken
him outside the city and left him to walk home. Fortunately,
he was able to get help and call a cab. The temperature that
night was below minus-20. Two police officers were charged and
found guilty. They are appealing both their conviction and sentence.
One of the women witnesses stated that she didn't want to end
up like Night.
The Federation of Saskatchewan
Indian Nations accused the Saskatoon Police Service of botching
the investigation from the beginning. The location where the
body was discovered wasn't treated as a crime scene, with police
walking and driving all over it and erasing any tracks or evidence
of other persons being in the area. As far as they were concerned,
it was the victim's own fault and that was it.
They also lost Wegner's clothing
and were unable to provide the socks which would have indicated
heavy wear as a result of him supposedly walking six kilometers.
No one reported the condition of the socks and a civilian witness
reported seeing a boot mark on Wegner's back.
This whole string of events
has left the aboriginal community cynical and isolated. Race
relations between Saskatoon police and the aboriginal community
are at an all time low, with no end in sight.
The process to determine Wegner's
cause of death has ended in failure and it's up to the police
to reopen the case and get to the bottom of it. FSIN Senator
Dave Ahenakew stated that this has been a destructive process
because the truth didn't come out.
One thing has improved though.
Since the issue became public, no more bodies have been discovered
at the edge of town.
© Copyright 2002 Saskatoon
StarPhoenix
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Truth can never be told so as to be understood,
and not be believ'd.