'Their stories must not be forgotten': Viens Commission closes with plea for Val-d'Or women

Nearly two years after she first pleaded for Quebec to take action to protect Indigenous women, Viviane Michel is now asking the government to not "drown out" the voices of the women who spoke outabout allegedpolice mistreatment in Val-d'Or.

Michel, the president of Native Women Quebec,was the last person to testify before the Viens Commission Fridaybefore the inquiry's closing ceremony.

She was among the advocates who pushed for the inquiry in 2015, after a Radio-Canada investigation reportedseveral allegations of police misconductagainst Indigenous women in Val-d'Or.

"Their stories must not be forgotten. They decided to make this sacrifice to make sure other women didn't have to live through what they went through," said Michel.

InEnqute's report,broadcast in October 2015, women alleged they were taken on "starlight tours" driven out of townby police and left to walk back and suffered other types ofdiscrimination at the hands of provincial police officers.

Under mounting political pressure, the former Liberal government launched the inquiry in December 2016.

Itsmandate wasto look into discrimination and racism within public services, including health care, youth protection, the correctional system, justice and policing.

Michelsaid by incorporating all these elements, "the strategy of the government of Quebec was to drown out this tragedy within an investigation with a larger mandate."

"We did not want the issues women in Val-d'Or were facing to be diluted."

1,188 testimonials

Retired Justice JacquesViens, who presided over the inquiry, acknowledged Michel's concerns in his closing comments.

Viens said the commission "learned there are not only problems in Val-d'Or," but by having expandedits focus, he'll be able to make recommendations onsystemic issues throughout Indigenous communities, such as language barriers, faults in the education systemand housing shortages.

"And we must recognize the courage of the women who spoke out and who were at the forefront of all this," Vienssaid, before thanking those all the participants who testified before the inquiry.

A total of 1,188 stories and expert opinions were sharedover the 38weeks of hearings.

Held mainly in Val-d'Or, the commission also travelled to Mani-Utenam, Mistissini, Montreal, Kuujjuaq and Kuujjuarrapikin northern Quebec.

In all, 277 citizens came forward with their personal stories of having dealt withpolice,hospital staff and other public services, includingyouth protection agencies and the justice system.

Viens described some of what he'd heardas "horrific."

In several cases, witnesses described incidents of discrimination that had beenlife-altering.

One Inukmother said her son'sinjuries hadn't been taken seriously by medical staff, testifyingthatLevi Pirti Kumarluk would still be alive if he'd been non-Inuk.

'Respect us,' says Indigenous leader

The chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (APNQL), Ghislain Picard, appeared four times before Viens.

On Thursday, Picard addressed the commissionerone last time, saying he could issue a thousand recommendations, but also just a single one.

"Respect us," he said.

The APNQL is demanding a complete overhaul of Quebec's government bodies to ensureIndigenous rights are recognized byevery ministry.

It is also calling for independentpolice forces within Indigenous communities, or, at the very least, cultural training for officers who are called to work with Indigenous people.

The APNQL said the government needs to adopt and implement theUnited Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP), a promisePremierFranoisLegaultcommitted toduring the election campaign.

"For me, it's very clear the gap that divides our people is deep, and we need to speak out," Picard said.