The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs calls for the resignation of RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki
October 21, 2020
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
alexpapineau
Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Arlen Dumas issues the following statement in response to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki’s comments on how the RCMP has addressed the incidents of violence in Nova Scotia over the Mi’kmaw fishery.
“I am utterly appalled that Commissioner Lucki has gone on record to state that the RCMP has not let down the Mi’kmaw fishers in Nova Scotia,” said Grand Chief Dumas.
“On Monday, October 19, 2020, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller stated that the Mi’kmaw have been “let down” by the RCMP. The AMC also agrees with the Minister’s statement. If this was the other way around, if it were Mi’kmaw fishers that were harassing non-Indigenous fishers, responsible for the destruction of non-Indigenous lobster stock and the burning of a non-Indigenous storage facility, you would see mass arrests of Mi’kmaw fishers, and the government would have called in the military and guns would have been drawn.”
Grand Chief Dumas added: “The RCMP is mandated to serve and protect our citizens within our Nations, and it must be held accountable for the quality of service and policing provided. To go on record to state that a number of these incidents occurred were not witnessed by the RCMP, when there are videos circulating on social media that show the contrary, is obscene. The RCMP must improve the way they are working with the Mi’kmaw and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in order to de-escalate this situation, and Commissioner Lucki must resign over the handling of this situation.”