Families of Colten Boushie, Jon Styres demand change to justice system before AFN
'This can't go on anymore,' says Boushie's mother
Jon Styres and Colten Boushie didn't know each other.
But now, their families are coming together, demanding changes to the justice system after the men who shot Styres and Boushie to death were found not guilty of second degree murder this year.
They want First Nations leaders and the Assembly of First Nations to stand with them in advocating for those changes.
"We didn't have a chance for justice. That needs to change," said Debbie Baptiste, speaking on behalf of her late son Colten before the assembly on Thursday morning.
Baptiste was invited to speak at the annual general assembly, alongside the family of Jon Styres, by Chief Ava Hill of Six Nations in Ontario. The community is just west of the rural area of Hamilton where Styres lived.
"We need to do something about the justice system in this country. Not only federal governments, but provincial governments. And we as chiefs need to do that," said Hill in her opening remarks.
Twenty-nine-year-old Styres was killed in February 2016. A father to two little girls, Sophia and Zoey, Styres was shot by a former Canadian Forces reservist, Peter Khill.
Khill's legal team argued in court that he feared for his life when he woke up that night to find a Styres breaking into his 15-year-old GMC pickup truck.
"I'm asking everyone here, all the chiefs, I'm begging you, to change this broken system so that children like Sophia and Zoey don't have a to lose a parent to such senseless violence," she said.
"All the areas of the system need to be thoroughly examined."
Styres' mother also spoke briefly, and tearfully, saying Khill's acquittal proves to her that trucks are "more valuable than my son's life" under Canadian law.
The Crown is appealing the not guilty verdict.
'I don't want any more deaths'
Boushie, 22, was shot to death in August 2016 after he and group of friends drove onto the rural property of Gerald Stanley near Biggar, Saskatchewan.
Relatives of the young Cree man from the Red Pheasant First Nation have become outspoken advocates for changes to the justice system, especially after Stanley was acquitted of second degree murder.
Stanley's acquittal led to rallies demanding "Justice for Colten" across the country. A couple of weeks, later Raymond Cormier was found not guilty of killing Anishinaabe teen Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg and people took to the streets again demanding justice system reforms.
"Something has to be done with the RCMP and the justice system. This can't go on anymore. I don't want any more deaths. I don't want a whole bunch of families lined up behind me telling the same story," said Baptiste, surrounded by family.
"It's not okay they killed my son. That was my baby."
The audience rose in a standing ovation after the families spoke.
The Assembly of First Nations is gathered in Vancouver this week for its annual general assembly. Newly re-elected national chief Perry Bellegarde has spoken out about the need for changes to the justice system — most recently after Khill's acquittal.
"We see once again that Canada has a legal system, but not a justice system. This is the third trial verdict this year that tells First Nations that our lives do not matter," he said in a statement last month.
Now the families of Styres and Boushie are tasking all First Nations chiefs and leaders to step up and do something.
After speaking at the assembly, the families will meet with Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, Carolyn Bennett.