0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains some strong language and scenes which some viewers may find disturbing
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Canada has a dark secret...
0:00:10 > 0:00:13..the murder and disappearance of thousands of women
0:00:13 > 0:00:15from indigenous communities.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18She was abducted, sold to the sex trade.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19They said they chopped her up.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22I think that somebody did something to her.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25We are all packing. We all have knives.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Then where the fuck are these girls going to?
0:00:28 > 0:00:31You'd better not be taking me anywhere I don't want to go.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Why have so many killers escaped justice?
0:00:34 > 0:00:37There were other women that had gone missing,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and their remains found within 8km.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Do some Canadians believe indigenous lives to be worth less
0:00:43 > 0:00:45than a white person?
0:00:45 > 0:00:51Some of the worst racists carry a gun, and they carry a badge.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55They said that the police were, at best, incompetent,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59at worst, blatantly racist. What would you say to that?
0:01:22 > 0:01:25This road is known as the Highway of Tears.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36It's believed nearly 40 indigenous women and girls have died
0:01:36 > 0:01:38or disappeared on this road.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43But they are just a fraction of a much larger problem.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Since 1980, the police say almost 1,200 indigenous women
0:01:49 > 0:01:53have gone missing or been murdered right across Canada,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58but other organisations estimate it to be as high as 4,000.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04One of the youngest is 14-year-old Aielah Auger.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07In 2006, she was found mutilated
0:02:07 > 0:02:11and dismembered by the side of the road in this spot.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I'm here with local indigenous campaigner Brenda Wilson
0:02:17 > 0:02:19and retired cop Raymond Chalco.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Can you talk me through what state Aielah's body was found in?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29It was horrific.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32It just seemed to be dumped, left as garbage.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36They had to have a closed casket because her body was so torn up
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and parts of her body were missing.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Just not something that you want to remember your beautiful little child
0:02:42 > 0:02:44to have gone through.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Aielah's case, like many across Canada, is unsolved.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53And Ray, you're a private investigator.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Just so I'm totally clear,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59of all the indigenous women that have gone missing on this highway,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02have any of the perpetrators been held accountable?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05No. None of them have been held accountable.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07- Zero?- Zero.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The police investigators of the day said that
0:03:10 > 0:03:14they were, in a lot of cases, convinced that had they been given
0:03:14 > 0:03:18the resources that they needed to do a proper investigation
0:03:18 > 0:03:22they would have been able to solve some of the cases.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25But they weren't given those resources by...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30..people higher up in the police department.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Most of the victims were last seen alive trying to hitchhike between
0:03:42 > 0:03:44the logging towns
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and remote indigenous communities known as reserves.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Why do so many of the girls, Brenda, have to hitchhike?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They are either trying to get to a doctor's appointment,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03they're going to visit family in other towns or other places,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07they could be going there for grocery shopping
0:04:07 > 0:04:10because all of that is available here in the city,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13but in our remote areas along Highway 16,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15all of those services are not available.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- So basic necessities, really? - Basic necessities.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24And there's no bus services that go off into those remote areas
0:04:24 > 0:04:25to bring them back and forth.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Why isn't there any public transportation?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30It's always stated that there is no funding available,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33that it's not an issue.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35How can they say it's not an issue!
0:04:35 > 0:04:37We've really had to push.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40How can any sane, rational individual say that this isn't an issue?
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Well, it's been said many times from different mouths in the government system.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48How many women have to die for it to be an issue?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Well, so far there's quite a few on Highway 16 that,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54you know, have lost their lives.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Putting them, you know, having to be in those situations.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Ray believes most of the homicides on the Highway of Tears
0:05:05 > 0:05:09are carried out by opportunistic male perpetrators.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14This stretch of road is a sexual predator's dream, right?
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Yes.- It's in the middle of nowhere.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18That's right and, you know,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22you're just at the mercy of whoever happens to come along.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29There's a pattern of victims being disposed of
0:05:29 > 0:05:32along the remote logging trails.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's quite atmospheric, to say the least.
0:05:38 > 0:05:46So, Ray, there are presumably hundreds of side roads like this?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Yes. You can see little trails, probably animal trails,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52so that if you were wanting to take a body
0:05:52 > 0:05:56it's fairly easy to get through most of that brush
0:05:56 > 0:06:00and then in 50 feet you're totally out of sight,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04so the chances of anybody ever finding the body in there
0:06:04 > 0:06:06are just remote to none.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11It highlights how vulnerable these girls are.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- It's just very, very scary. - It's your worst nightmare.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Imagine yourself if you're hitchhiking to Prince George
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and I stop and pick you up, and you think everything's fine,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and all of the sudden we're here parked,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and look at the size of me and look at the size of you,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25and look at what is around.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30Your initial reaction would be to scream or run.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Who on earth is going to hear you or see you?
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Exactly. I mean, you'd be terrorised.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44This tragedy is not isolated to remote rural parts of Canada alone.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's much more widespread.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54For decades, this dark secret has been overlooked, and even denied,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56by some Canadians.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But in the indigenous communities which make up under 5% of
0:07:01 > 0:07:05the country's population, it's causing outrage.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08THEY SING
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Why are so many of these young women going missing and being murdered?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23In search of answers, I've come to the city of Edmonton.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Many indigenous women work the streets here in the sex trade.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This makes them incredibly vulnerable.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41So we're down 118 Ave, here. The girls will call 118 Ave
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and 95 Street "death row" because a majority of all the girls that have
0:07:45 > 0:07:49gone missing or have been found murdered all worked in this area.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54For 20 years, indigenous social worker Kari Thomason has provided
0:07:54 > 0:07:59support and rehabilitation for Edmonton's highest-risk sex workers.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Stay safe, honey.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Kari has over 900 girls logged on her database,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09many of whom are homeless and addicted to meth or heroin.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11How many of these girls are indigenous
0:08:11 > 0:08:13that are out on the streets?
0:08:13 > 0:08:1690% are our own people are out here.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- 90?- It's a high percentage. - Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Because throughout Canada, the indigenous population
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- make up a tiny percentage. - Yes, absolutely.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31But in comparison to how many of the girls are going missing
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and being murdered,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- it's disproportionate.- Absolutely.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Kari's known some of the girls since they were young.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43We stop and speak to and indigenous woman called Tee,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45who is three months pregnant.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47What age are you, Tee?
0:08:49 > 0:08:5130, yeah?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'Tee got pimped into sex work by her own mother
0:08:54 > 0:08:56'when she was still a child.'
0:08:56 > 0:08:59How long have you been working on the streets?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- Ten years old?- Yeah.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07So this is all you've ever known?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11What's it like?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Just knowing the shit that that kid's going through,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34you know, it sucks.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37What's gone on there?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Mum was an active addict, and you need that fix,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45you need that fix, and sometimes you do some god-awful evil things,
0:09:45 > 0:09:50and sometimes you sacrifice your child for the dope.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Alarmingly, many of these girls have been trafficked from their reserves
0:09:59 > 0:10:02by members of their own community.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04A lot of them get targeted.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- By who?- Sadly, by our own people as well.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10So, I mean, you've got little popcorn pimps
0:10:10 > 0:10:14going around to the round dances and the powwows, hooking up to girls,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and giving that attention and just
0:10:16 > 0:10:18the right amount to be able to lure them away from their families.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21You know, give all the, "Oh, we'll just go to the big city,"
0:10:21 > 0:10:24or "we'll go into town for a weekend."
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- So behave like a boyfriend? - Absolutely.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28That's part of the game, sadly.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31And the girls confuse that behaviour with love?
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Most of them have never had that healthy outlook
0:10:35 > 0:10:37of what a relationship should look like, right?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41When you're surrounded by a lot of abuse or addiction...
0:10:41 > 0:10:43That's so interesting, Kari,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46that often it's the indigenous man that target their own women.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Time and again, these women's high-risk lifestyles
0:10:51 > 0:10:55are caused by the people who first exploited them.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Shelley, do you mind me asking you
0:10:57 > 0:10:59why you're out on the streets working?
0:11:19 > 0:11:23In the last year alone, three of Kari's girls have been murdered.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Shelley herself has had a close call.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30- Have you ever had a bad date? - Yes.- Tell me a bit about that.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42Both of them?
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- That must be such a wake-up call, Shelley.- It was.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19How many of your friends haven't been as lucky as you?
0:12:23 > 0:12:24- They're all dead?- Yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43If you're in this vulnerable position,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47the likelihood of you going missing skyrockets.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Yes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51The perpetrators, are they mostly Caucasian,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53or are some of them indigenous themselves?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56For the bad date ones that we've got,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00most are committed by non-aboriginal.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02We've got a lot that are Caucasian.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08For me, tonight has just been
0:13:08 > 0:13:10a complete eye-opener from start to finish.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15You know, you hear the statistics
0:13:15 > 0:13:20and you're fairly familiar in terms of what's going on,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but then you're out on the streets with these girls,
0:13:23 > 0:13:30and the sheer desperation and pure hopelessness is just so apparent.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And, for me, it just sounds like these girls...
0:13:35 > 0:13:38..are up against it, often from the very start.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44And they are being exploited from so many different angles.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Clearly, the sex trade has made these girls more vulnerable to predators,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54but why did so many end up on the streets?
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Is something going wrong in their communities?
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Since European colonisation,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Canada's indigenous population has been decimated
0:14:04 > 0:14:09and largely marginalised to the remote state-funded reserves.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I want to see one of these reserves for myself,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28so I'm flying to the far north of Alberta.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34So we're heading down right now to Fort Chipewyan.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38One of the reasons we are having to fly is because, actually,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42you can only reach this space by a small aircraft
0:14:42 > 0:14:45or a boat for about nine months of the year.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48For the other three months you're lucky if you're able to drive,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51but that's because the water will have frozen over,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54so there's winter roads, if you like.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I've never been anywhere like this before in my life.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I mean, we really are in the middle of nowhere.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02It does feel like that.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Many reserves across Canada suffer from chronic unemployment,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21substance abuse and domestic violence.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29The majority of indigenous people believe these social problems
0:15:29 > 0:15:32stem from places called residential schools.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Like this one, on the outskirts of Fort Chipewyan.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40For over a century,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44indigenous children were taken away from their families by
0:15:44 > 0:15:47the government and placed in these church-run boarding houses
0:15:47 > 0:15:50to learn white Christian values.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54These controversial institutions were eventually abolished,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58with the last one closing in 1996.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'I'm meeting Steve Courtoreille.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05'He is the reserve's chief, and was a pupil of this residential school.'
0:16:05 > 0:16:07It's lovely to meet you.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10We're going to have a nose inside this building?
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- Is that OK?- Yes, it is, of course. - Awesome. OK. I'll follow you.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Wow!
0:16:18 > 0:16:21My goodness!
0:16:21 > 0:16:23It doesn't look like a thing has changed.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28No, it's pretty much the same as when they left here.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Steve, are you able to explain to me why
0:16:30 > 0:16:34the government and the church felt it necessary
0:16:34 > 0:16:36for these residential schools?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40The purpose is to take, as they called, "savages"
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and turn us into human beings.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46They had a job to do - it is to take that Indian out of us.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- To strip you of all your culture? - Yes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54To force the families to put their children in a residential school,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56the families had no choice.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02And you, yourself, Steve, you were a pupil at this residential school.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Tell me a bit about that, please.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I was here for ten years.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- At what age?- At a very young age, before my sixth birthday.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13There was a lot of abuse that went on.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Physical, mental, spiritual, emotional.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Every day to be called a savage,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24"Good for nothing. You will never amount to nothing."
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Those were the continuous comments made to the kids.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28- Vulnerable kids.- Yes.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- That have been ripped away from their families...- Yes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- ..and forced into this space. - For sure, yes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Then as I got a little older, then there was sexual abuse that went on.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40You're caught in the middle of that fear
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and knowing that nobody's going to believe you.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- You've got no-one to go to.- Yes.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Not a single person that you can turn to and say,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- "Actually, I'm being abused sexually here."- Yes.
0:17:52 > 0:17:58The biggest damage that was done was they destroyed the families.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02The extended family concept's not there no more in this community.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05And there's still so much pain from the residents
0:18:05 > 0:18:09who are still alive and well in this community.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Steve, it sounds to me like, you know, the youngsters,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15your generation, were struggling then,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- the younger generation here are struggling now.- Yes.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21How much of a part have the residential schools played
0:18:21 > 0:18:23in what we see today?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Just imagine now... when the children...
0:18:28 > 0:18:33..the students of that resident school started to become parents.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37There's a lot of violence, a lot of family break-ups.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I mean, it's common knowledge that sometimes
0:18:41 > 0:18:43the abused becomes the abuser.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- Yes. Yes.- It is learned behaviour. - It is.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50'For Steve, this domestic violence towards women
0:18:50 > 0:18:54'is what's forcing them to the cities and into danger.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The woman had no choice but to leave their home.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00They were forced to leave in order to keep their children safe.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And where else do they end up?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05In the streets.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Calgary, Toronto, wherever.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10- Prostitution.- Yes.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Do you know what, it's just tragically inevitable
0:19:14 > 0:19:16that these things are going to happen.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20These residential schools are going to have a knock-on effect through
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- the generations.- Yes.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Accusations of racism towards the indigenous population
0:19:41 > 0:19:44casts a shadow deep into Canada's past.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But many believe prejudice is still a problem today.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52They are critical of the way the authorities have investigated
0:19:52 > 0:19:55missing and murdered women's cases.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01In Leduc County, on the outskirts of Edmonton,
0:20:01 > 0:20:07the remains of five women have been found, all within a six-mile radius.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10No-one has been held accountable for their deaths.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16One of the victims was 20-year-old single mother Amber Tuccaro,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18who was taken in 2010.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'I'm meeting a friend of Amber's family, April Eve.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- I'm Stacey.- Hi, nice to meet you. - Yeah, likewise. So nice to meet you.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I wanted to show you this motel.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32It was the last place that Amber Tuccaro had been seen alive.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35What happened that night? Do we know?
0:20:35 > 0:20:39All we know is that Amber had intended to go to Edmonton
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and had left here and caught a ride...
0:20:44 > 0:20:45..into Edmonton.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47So the last time Amber was seen alive
0:20:47 > 0:20:52- was when she got into a vehicle? - Yes.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54'April and Amber's family believe
0:20:54 > 0:20:58'the police have mishandled the investigation.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01'They claim that right from the start, officers missed the opportunity
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'to gather crucial evidence.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Was there any CCTV with the police?
0:21:07 > 0:21:13Yes, but it took the police quite some time to even go ahead
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and contact the local businesses to get a tape of
0:21:16 > 0:21:19the day that Amber had gone missing.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23So by the time they did that, they had already recorded over it.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26There were so many holes in the investigation from
0:21:26 > 0:21:29the time that Amber first went missing.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Totally unacceptable.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35That's unbelievable. So there was CCTV available, but they left it...?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37There could have been, yes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40If they would have acted quickly, who knows?
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Still, we are no closer to having any idea who killed her?
0:21:44 > 0:21:49No. I mean, we're not getting anything back from the investigators.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53The family are often the ones that have to call them to find out,
0:21:53 > 0:21:54you know, have there been any leads.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Where is the task force investigating?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00You know, where's the community's awareness
0:22:00 > 0:22:04that in their own back yard here in Leduc
0:22:04 > 0:22:09there could possibly be a serial predator?
0:22:09 > 0:22:13But the criticisms of the police don't stop there.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It wasn't until two years after Amber's disappearance that
0:22:16 > 0:22:20the authorities released an astonishing piece of evidence.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25A recording of Amber's last phone call from inside
0:22:25 > 0:22:27the vehicle that picked her up.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32She can be heard talking to the unidentified suspect.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Had this recording been released at the time of Amber's disappearance,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03her family believe it could have generated more meaningful leads.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08'For Amber's mum Vivian and brother Paul,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11'the police failings started right from
0:23:11 > 0:23:13'the time they reported her missing.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:16When do you decide to call the police?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18I called them on Friday.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23And Amber was missing from Wednesday night.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25And they said to me,
0:23:25 > 0:23:26"Oh, maybe she's just out partying,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29"and she'll call or she'll come back."
0:23:29 > 0:23:34And I was like, "I know Amber, I want to report her missing."
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Do you feel like the police didn't take you seriously?
0:23:39 > 0:23:44They didn't care. It got to the point where I was calling
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and I don't know if I filled up their voicemail or whatever
0:23:46 > 0:23:49because it would go to switchboard,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and the lady in the front would be like, "Vivian, you called already.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54"Leave a message." I was like,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56"I did leave a message but no-one is calling me back!
0:23:56 > 0:23:59"So I'm going to keep calling."
0:23:59 > 0:24:03To me, they didn't give a shit. They didn't care.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It took the police several days to put Amber on
0:24:06 > 0:24:08the missing persons list,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11during which time vital clues are likely to have been lost.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I think it has to do with just because my sister was Indian.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18That they think, "Oh, we don't have to go as hard,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21"or work as hard on the case." Already, she's labelled.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They think because First Nation girls, you know, they drink,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28they do drugs, they do all this, so do other nationalities.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30What makes Indians less important?
0:24:30 > 0:24:35So what if she parties? So what if she does whatever she wants to do?
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That doesn't make her less of a human being.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40She was my baby.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42She's my baby.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44SHE CRIES
0:24:44 > 0:24:47They just made her out to be a typical stereotype,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49she's a First Nation or Indian native,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and just feed us a bunch of bullshit.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Amber left behind her son Jacob, who is now being raised by Vivian.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Jacob's growing up now, he's asking questions about his mum.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05He wishes his mum was here.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And that's what breaks my heart most.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I mean, needless to say,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22your heart...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25totally breaks for the pair of them.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But I know that it isn't sympathy they are after,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32they just want justice.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35You know, whatever Amber was or wasn't doing,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39whatever she was or wasn't involved with, you know,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41she was a 20-year-old innocent victim...
0:25:43 > 0:25:47..who was brutally murdered, and nobody's sat in jail.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00How common is this apparently dismissive police attitude
0:26:00 > 0:26:02to crimes against indigenous women?
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Lorimer Shenher is a detective with the Vancouver Police Department
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and was one of the lead investigators
0:26:10 > 0:26:16on Canada's most infamous serial killer case - Robert Pickton.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- MAN:- The RCMP descended on Pickton's farm in 2002,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and launched a massive search that uncovered the remains, or DNA,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24of 33 women.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Officers first started looking at Pickton
0:26:25 > 0:26:28as they investigated reports of missing sex workers.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31He has been charged with 27 counts of murder,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and eventually convicted of six.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Lorimer believes Pickton could have been caught earlier,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39but the police didn't take the matter seriously enough
0:26:39 > 0:26:42because most of the women were indigenous.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47So racism was clearly an issue, live and kicking,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50when you were part of the police force?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53The institutional racism came into play in terms of
0:26:53 > 0:26:55people not thinking it was that important
0:26:55 > 0:26:58to explore why these women were going missing.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59And I could see that in my investigation.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02This file just kept getting put on the corner of people's desks,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06and I kept checking in with them week after week, month after month,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09only to find out that they really weren't doing anything.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12You know, he killed at least 14 or 15 more women in that time.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I can't help but think that if them girls,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17the majority had have been white women,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19it would have been dealt with a lot quicker.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21It would have. And that was exactly my sense too.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I think that a lot of the families and the women involved
0:27:24 > 0:27:28in our investigation, they had very frustrating interactions
0:27:28 > 0:27:31with our office staff over the years.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I heard my own secretary saying, you know,
0:27:33 > 0:27:38"Speak Canadian. This is Canada. Speak English."
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Talking to them like they're deaf and stupid.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42And you would get told you're a bad parent.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45It was your fault that they were on the street in the first place.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48That you're an alcoholic or drug user yourself.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52These were things that I heard being said to the family members.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56And these are the very people that everybody's supposed to be able to rely on.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- Yeah.- These are the people that are supposed to help the vulnerable
0:27:59 > 0:28:00and stand up for what's right.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Yes, but it's two-tiered level of service, isn't it?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06If you're a taxpayer, if you're white, if you're a working person,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09if you're not drug addicted, if you're not an alcoholic,
0:28:09 > 0:28:10then you get this level of service.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12But if you're any of those other things,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14this is the level of service you can expect.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18There are similarities with an ongoing case now,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20so I met a lady called Vivian,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23she lost a daughter, Amber, initially she picked up the phone,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25reported her daughter missing.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27She said she felt they were very dismissive,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29they weren't taking it seriously.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31And apparently, you know,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34there were just a catalogue of errors from start to finish.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36This is a template that you could apply
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and you could just drop it down over the top of literally hundreds
0:28:40 > 0:28:43of investigations across this country.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Literally hundreds, and starting right from that phone call.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49'I personally feel like it's quite predictable,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51'and totally understandable,'
0:28:51 > 0:28:53that when you're having these conversations with
0:28:53 > 0:28:58the indigenous people they feel completely disillusioned
0:28:58 > 0:29:00and really let down by the police.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03What you expect less to hear...
0:29:03 > 0:29:05is this being confirmed by an individual
0:29:05 > 0:29:08who was part of that very force for over two decades.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20How prevalent is this racism today in wider Canadian society?
0:29:22 > 0:29:25'To try and get a sense of it I've come to 630 CHED,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29'a popular talk radio station in Edmonton.'
0:29:31 > 0:29:35It's 11:05 here in the studio on this Tuesday morning.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Stacey Dooley, welcome.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Thank you so, so much. I'm delighted to be here.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40CHED nation,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44you are invited to the table to contribute to this conversation.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Peter, what's on your mind?
0:29:46 > 0:29:51'How do we even know that the women are being killed off the reserves?
0:29:51 > 0:29:54'They could be killed there, there's so much violence,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58'babies getting shot, people getting killed all the time.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02'How do we know that they don't just dump the bodies off the reserves
0:30:02 > 0:30:04'and blame the white man?'
0:30:04 > 0:30:07What I would say is that indigenous women accept
0:30:07 > 0:30:11that domestic violence is an issue on the reserves,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14so I don't think anyone's arguing with that.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17There's every chance that these girls could be being killed by
0:30:17 > 0:30:20a white man or by an indigenous man.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Rob has been holding the line. Hi, Rob.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27'Hi, guys. I'm of the mind that what's going on on the highway
0:30:27 > 0:30:29'is a systemic problem.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32'The reserve system needs to be abolished,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36'natives need to be included in our society, not segregated from it.'
0:30:36 > 0:30:38I appreciate the call, Rob.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40On the text line, a listener says,
0:30:40 > 0:30:45"It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that I'm 29 years of age,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49"and I had never heard anything about residential schools
0:30:49 > 0:30:50"until two years ago."
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Well, you know, I'm in a similar boat.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55I didn't realise that these residential schools
0:30:55 > 0:30:56existed here in Canada.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Stacey, let's get back to the phone lines because they are jammed. Rick.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02- 'Hello, there.'- What's on your mind?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05'Well, I think they're making too much of this.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08'There's been a lot of educated people come from that residential school.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12'I think you do too much on one side and don't tell the whole story.'
0:31:12 > 0:31:15So, just so I'm clear, are you...
0:31:15 > 0:31:17in favour of the residential schools?
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Do you feel they were necessary?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21'I think so, yeah, at the time.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25'Even right now there are supposed to be seven out of ten Indian kids
0:31:25 > 0:31:27'that are in government aid -
0:31:27 > 0:31:29'they still can't seem to look after their kids.'
0:31:29 > 0:31:32So, essentially, they ripped these kids from their families...
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- 'I know, yeah.'- They tried to eradicate all of the culture,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39all of the traditions, sort of, take the Indian out of them, if you like.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42'Well, if it wasn't for them, they wouldn't be living today, you know.'
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Dennis, you're up next. What's on your mind?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47'Well, I think when people disappear,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51'I guess we don't really investigate enough to find out what has happened.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54'And then that just opens more opportunity for bad people
0:31:54 > 0:31:58'because they realise, "Hey, nothing's happening, let's go after more." '
0:31:58 > 0:31:59Well, this is exactly it.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04And it's entirely possible that there is still a serial killer at loose,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07like, around this area. That is just so, so frightening,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10- and that's hard to comprehend in and accept.- 'Exactly.'
0:32:10 > 0:32:14I had no doubt that this audience would have a lot to say about this.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Stacey Dooley, it's been a pleasure. - Likewise. Thank you so, so much.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- Thanks for spending some time with us.- Thank you.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I'm encouraged some of the callers recognised
0:32:23 > 0:32:26what indigenous people are up against.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30But there's no doubt the judgment against their community exists,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32and not just on the end of the phone.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43'A cabbie on one of my journeys has some interesting views.'
0:32:43 > 0:32:45What do you make of the indigenous community?
0:32:45 > 0:32:49An awful lot of them, they stand there with their hand out.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52And the more you give them, the more they want.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- They have no self-worth. - Right.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59If you have to get out of bed every morning and go to a job,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02it gives you a sense of purpose.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03The only purpose they have is
0:33:03 > 0:33:07where they can get their next hit or their next bottle.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12Yeah. Why do you think some of them might have these issues
0:33:12 > 0:33:15in terms of alcoholism, drug addiction?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Because they have nothing else to do.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Do you think some of them might be trying to self-medicate
0:33:21 > 0:33:23because of what they've been through?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I mean, these residential schools, the sexual abuse,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29the torture, the starvation, do you think that plays a part?
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Do you not think we've all been through our own...?
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- We've all got our own cross to bear. - Yeah.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38But don't expect your whole life to be a victim.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Any other country that was taken over by a people that came in,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46the people that were living there had to conform or else.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Here, we give them everything.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54What about the idea that they were actually here first?
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Does it matter?
0:33:56 > 0:34:00I just think it's opinions like yours...
0:34:03 > 0:34:06..that encourage racism.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07It's not racism.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10I don't care if you're purple with pink polka-dots.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Work and earn your living.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14But that's what some of them want,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17but they're not being given that opportunity.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20I see them all the time.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22They get in my cab, and you ask for money upfront,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25and I ask for money up front from just about everybody.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29But, "you're just asking me because I'm native."
0:34:29 > 0:34:32So you're saying that you always ask for money upfront?
0:34:34 > 0:34:36From everybody, just about.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39You didn't ask us for money upfront.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I treat everybody the same that gets in my cab.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44It doesn't sound like that, to me.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47It doesn't sound like that.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Well, that's the way it is.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Of course, I can't stand here
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and speak on behalf of the indigenous people,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58you know, and pretend that everybody's perfect
0:34:58 > 0:35:00because that's not the case.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05But having that conversation with Donna, what she does,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08is she highlights some of the opinions that obviously exist
0:35:08 > 0:35:10here in Canada.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15- THEY SHOUT: - Inquiry! Inquiry! Inquiry!
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power in 2015,
0:35:21 > 0:35:26his new government have launched an official 50 million inquiry
0:35:26 > 0:35:29into finding answers for the victim's families.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34Those touched by this national tragedy have waited long enough.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39Part of this process is to examine the role of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
0:35:39 > 0:35:46Some of the worst racists carry a gun, and they carry a badge.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Authorised by you, Commissioner Paulson.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I hear what you're saying.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I understand that there are racists in my police force.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57I don't want them to be in my police force.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05'The RCMP will not talk about specifics of any case.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07'However, they have agreed for me to meet a senior officer
0:36:07 > 0:36:11'from their Alberta provincial headquarters.'
0:36:11 > 0:36:13- How are you? - I'm just fine, thank you.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- I'm Stacey. How do you do? - Hi. Superintendent Gary Steinke.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Lovely to meet you. And thank you so much for your time,
0:36:18 > 0:36:19I really appreciate it.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23I know Commissioner Paulson came out last year
0:36:23 > 0:36:28and accepted that there were racists within the organisation.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Do you believe that to also be true?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Are there individuals in the RCMP, as Commissioner Paulson said,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36are there individuals that may be called racist?
0:36:36 > 0:36:39There probably are, like there are in every other walk of life.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42I haven't witnessed any.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47I spoke to two separate people who weren't related to the families in any way,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49and they said, their trail of thought was
0:36:49 > 0:36:52that the police, the RCMP,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56broadly speaking, were at best, incompetent,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58at worst, blatantly racist.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00What would you say to that?
0:37:00 > 0:37:03We're not incompetent. We do want to solve these cases,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05regardless of gender or race.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07And when we go through the investigations,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11by far the majority of murdered aboriginal women are solved.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Between aboriginal women and aboriginal men,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18or Caucasian women or Caucasian men,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20the stats in solve rates are almost identical.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I think there's a higher percentage of indigenous women, unfortunately,
0:37:24 > 0:37:25that are vulnerable.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I mean, that's good news for the victims' families
0:37:28 > 0:37:30who have the answers, but those that don't,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33they truly believe, in their heart of hearts,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36that if their daughter had have been white, Caucasian, blue-eyed,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40blonde hair, that there would be more of a sense of urgency.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45The 72 hours after the individual's gone missing, that time is crucial,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49and I think that's why Amber Tuccaro's mother feels so let down
0:37:49 > 0:37:52because there was no sense of urgency.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54That did not happen in Amber's case.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I think mistakes were made in that particular case, and she knows that,
0:37:58 > 0:37:59and we've apologised for that.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Because they feel, I'll be honest with you,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04they feel totally let down. They have no faith in you whatsoever.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08As of today, and in years past, the RCMP have learned lessons,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10as every police organisation has.
0:38:10 > 0:38:16So why is it that so many indigenous women still have such little faith
0:38:16 > 0:38:19and so little trust in their police officers?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Some of these cases are very, very difficult to solve.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24All I can say is that every single case,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28and the one you've mentioned here, is still under investigation.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Right, so even if the individuals went missing years and years ago,
0:38:32 > 0:38:33you're telling me here today
0:38:33 > 0:38:35there are still people actively working,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- trying to solve their cases? - Absolutely are.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40The police get the last part of it.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43We get the investigation and we unfortunately have to look at
0:38:43 > 0:38:45the bodies and try and solve what happened.
0:38:45 > 0:38:50But the reasons why these things happen are well beyond what we can control.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53I mean, we could go down the list of social causes
0:38:53 > 0:38:58and educational causes and historic causes and could go on and on.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Do I believe Gary when he says that he is passionate
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and he's determined to seek justice,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09to find out what happened to these indigenous women that went missing
0:39:09 > 0:39:11and are often murdered? Yeah.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13He explained very clearly, actually,
0:39:13 > 0:39:18that he believes the very reason many indigenous women are going missing
0:39:18 > 0:39:22and being murdered is because statistically...
0:39:22 > 0:39:24they are more vulnerable, and you know,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27that sort of backs up what Kari suggests.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31She said that she believes 90% of the girls on the streets are indigenous.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33And with all that said,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36that doesn't mean we should fall into victim blaming
0:39:36 > 0:39:40or an acceptance that this is going to continue to happen.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42You know, that needs to stop.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44The mishandlings, the lack of justice,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47all of that needs to change.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Whilst police attitudes may be changing,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53the problems for indigenous girls aren't.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Young women are still going missing,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03yet they continue to come to the city to work the streets.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06The thought of giving someone a blow job down here
0:40:06 > 0:40:08is so depressing.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15'We stopped to chat to Jen,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19'a mixed race indigenous woman who Kari regularly helps out.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23'And I get a sense of just how threatened these girls feel.'
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Jen, how safe do you feel out here?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31A lot of us out here, we're all packing.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33We all have knives.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37- Oh, I see.- It's little, but it works.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39- It does?- Oh, yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40The other one that I had,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43that I had to get rid of because it was it was full of blood.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44Can you tell me a bit about that?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47He decided he wanted to start beating the shit out of me
0:40:47 > 0:40:49and he started going stupid on my face.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53I've got a crack in my cheekbone and a crack in my jaw from it.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57And I just started fricking swinging the knife, and, yeah.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59He went and grabbed the blade
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- and slit his hand right down the blade.- Oof!
0:41:02 > 0:41:04We've still got to live with all that in our mind,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06knowing our people are being murdered.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- And do you look after each other? - Yes.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10There's long nights.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It's not an easy life to live.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Look, your dinner's here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- This is her date. - Oh, the lad in the car?- Yeah.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23All righty, people, but I've got to get out of here.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27- All right, Jen. Thanks, Jen. - Stay safe.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34So I need to get that plate in case anything happens to her.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35Kari, when you can,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38you will try and take a note of all of the registration plates?
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Yes.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43I'll take note of the description of the vehicle, the plates,
0:41:43 > 0:41:48the driver because in case they do go missing or are found murdered,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51this is the last vehicle that we've seen them in.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55- That sort of gives a starting point. - That's so useful.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10At almost every turn there is a memory of a woman who Kari has lost.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Down this alley, here,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16is where one of my girls was found murdered.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18- When was this?- Just last year.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20She was fucking beat so brutally,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and they threw her out her own apartment window
0:42:23 > 0:42:24while she was still alive.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26- Are they in prison now?- Yes.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Did they get life?
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Oh, fuck, no! Nobody gets life here.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35I know one is being charged with manslaughter, I think he got five.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- Five?- Yeah. They get a slap on the hand, "Don't do it again,"
0:42:38 > 0:42:40kind of fucking shit.
0:42:40 > 0:42:41That's a joke.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44So this is the window where she was tossed out of.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46On the third floor.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- So this was her flat?- Yeah.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52'With such stark odds,
0:42:52 > 0:42:56'the girls are lucky to have someone like Kari looking out for them.'
0:42:59 > 0:43:03But this issue is much greater than just protecting the women
0:43:03 > 0:43:04who are vulnerable today.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10Many of the indigenous people I've spoken to can't wait for change
0:43:10 > 0:43:14and believe one answer lies in making their communities stronger from within.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18'But what hope is there for the future?
0:43:20 > 0:43:24'This is Jacob, Amber Tuccaro's son,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26'who is now seven years old.'
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Jacob, look at this lake.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34It's amazing.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37I see ice blocks.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Yeah, I can see ice blocks too.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41What's this lake called?
0:43:41 > 0:43:43- Athabasca.- Athabasca?
0:43:43 > 0:43:45- Am I saying it right?- Uh-huh.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47And how was school today?
0:43:47 > 0:43:49- Good.- Yeah, what did you do?
0:43:49 > 0:43:52I did drawing, right?
0:43:52 > 0:43:55- I did drawing the whole day. - That sounds fun.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58And I just wondered if you would mind telling me
0:43:58 > 0:44:00a little bit about your mummy.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03I only know one thing, she's in heaven.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06I remembered her when I was a baby.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Do you go and visit her sometimes?
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Sometimes at the graveyard.
0:44:15 > 0:44:16Yeah.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Sometimes I look for bees.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20In the graveyard?
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Yeah, there's lots of bees there because there's flowers all over.
0:44:24 > 0:44:29Amber Tuccaro's reserve, like many across Canada, is trying to heal.
0:44:29 > 0:44:36THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE
0:44:36 > 0:44:40What are your hopes for Jacob?
0:44:40 > 0:44:44My hopes for Jacob is, with proper support and therapy,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47and any kind of help that we can get for him,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50he'll grow to be a healthy young man without having the struggles of
0:44:50 > 0:44:53having to deal with any issues with his mother.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00And, April, what are your thoughts in terms of, you know,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Jacob's generation?
0:45:02 > 0:45:06Our children deserve just as much of a bright future as anyone else's.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Their safety is so important,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13especially for those young people that leave their communities
0:45:13 > 0:45:15and come into the bigger cities.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17They need to have those supports in place
0:45:17 > 0:45:21and not have too deal with all the, you know, negative stereotypes.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Obviously, it's devastating that Jacob's lost his mum,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40you know, he's had her taken from him.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46And I think his case highlights perfectly what life is like
0:45:46 > 0:45:50for hundreds, if not thousands of kids, right across Canada.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55And that is it. That should be enough for people to demand change.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59You know, to demand this shift in attitude towards indigenous people,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01indigenous women.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03It's the only way that they're going to move forward.