Police brutality against Indigenous Canadians facts for kids
Police brutality happens when police officers use too much force against someone. This force is not needed or allowed. In Canada, Indigenous peoples include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals. These groups have faced difficult relationships with the police. This is often because of Canada's history of colonization. Since the early 2000s, many stories about police using too much force against Indigenous Canadians have been in the news.
Why This Happens
Many Indigenous Canadians have experienced unfair treatment. This can be due to their background, culture, race, or skin color. When Indigenous people interact with the police, they sometimes face this unfair treatment. For example, a survey showed that many Indigenous Canadians felt discriminated against by the police. This was much higher than for non-Indigenous people.
Sometimes, crimes against Indigenous Canadians are not handled well by the police. A sad example is the case of missing and murdered women along the Highway of Tears. This is a long road in British Columbia. Between 1989 and 2006, many women went missing or were found murdered there. Most of these women were Indigenous. People in Indigenous communities believe even more women are missing. An official report found that police investigations into these cases had serious problems. They found issues with how crimes were reported and how police followed up.
Young Indigenous men have also shared their concerns. They worry that negative ideas about First Nations people affect how police treat them. This can lead to unfair interactions.
How It Affects People
Indigenous Canadians are much more likely to be accused of serious crimes than white Canadians. Also, the number of Indigenous people in federal prisons has grown a lot. Even though Indigenous Canadians make up a small part of Canada's total population, they make up a much larger part of people in prison. This is even more true for Indigenous women.
Police and other government systems can sometimes make it harder for Indigenous Canadians to succeed. This is called marginalization. New ideas are being explored to change policing in Canada. These ideas aim to respect and keep strong Indigenous identities and practices. This helps make sure that traditional Indigenous ways are not lost.
Past Events
A report from 1992 looked at policing for Indigenous people in Saskatchewan. It found many complaints about the Saskatoon Police. People reported that police used too much force and were disrespectful. They also said police sometimes used rules unfairly or scared witnesses.
Another report from 1999, about justice in Manitoba, found similar issues. It showed that Indigenous Canadians were more likely to be denied bail. This means they had to stay in jail before their trial for longer periods than non-Indigenous people.
See also
- Saskatoon freezing deaths
- Highway of Tears
- List of excessive police force incidents in Canada
