Indigenous Archives - Loyal Conservatives

Indigenous Woman’s Harrowing Hospital Ordeal After Assault Sparks State Inquiry and Healthcare Review in Victoria

Ballarat, Australia—Sissy Austin, a 30-year-old Gunditjmara woman and former member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, has reported a distressing account of her treatment at a Ballarat hospital after being brutally attacked during a run in a nearby forest last year. Austin’s woes didn’t end with the assault as she narrated how she was left to fend for herself in the hospital despite severe head injuries, resulting in her decision to leave the medical …

Indigenous Man Receives House Arrest, Judge Cites Harsh Impact of Historical Factors on Life Choices

Vernon, Canada – In a legal decision that has drawn significant attention, a Vernon man with an extensive criminal history was sentenced to house arrest after a violent altercation that resulted in serious injuries for a motel guest. The ruling by Judge David Patterson took into account the defendant’s troubled past and the broader societal issues affecting Indigenous communities in Canada. Kenneth Allan Leo, who has been convicted on multiple offenses over the past two …

Opioid Crisis claims lives of First Nations at 8 times the Alberta rate, with devastating consequences for Indigenous communities

Calgary, Alberta – First Nations communities in Alberta are grappling with a devastating opioid crisis, with newly published data revealing that Indigenous people are dying at over eight times the rate of the rest of the population. The numbers underscore the tragic reality that Indigenous leaders have been warning about for years. Jody Plaineagle, a member of the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, described the profound impact of the opioid crisis on her community, where …

Support for Indigenous Domestic Violence Survivors Urgently Needed

Denver, Colorado – Alexandra James Banuelos, an Indigenous woman in Denver, is speaking out about the need for better support for survivors of domestic violence, particularly in her community. Following a violent attack by her husband, Banuelos is calling for increased access to resources that could potentially prevent such incidents in the future. More than a week after the attack, Banuelos still bears visible signs of the violence she endured, with bruises of various colors …

Indigenous Leaders Demand Disbandment of Thunder Bay Police Amid Investigations

A call for the disbandment of the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) and a plea for an outside agency to investigate recent deaths of Indigenous individuals have been made by First Nations leaders in northwestern Ontario. Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) leaders gathered at Queen’s Park in Toronto, accompanied by Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, other First Nations leaders, and family members affected by the recent deaths in Thunder Bay. NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler expressed concern …

Vulnerable Indigenous Woman Brutally Stabbed in Calgary Assault Case

Calgary, Alberta – A Siksika man has been sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for his participation in the brutal stabbing of a Calgary woman, leaving her “covered in blood from head to toe.” Justice Mark Tyndale acknowledged the tragic Indigenous background of Troy Eagle Tail Feathers as a factor for a more lenient sentence, but also noted the victim’s vulnerability as an Indigenous woman as a significant aggravating factor. The Calgary Court of …

Indigenous MPs Demand Action on Recommendations to Save Lives

Canberra, Australia – A group of federal crossbench MPs led by Senator Lidia Thorpe has raised concerns over the increasing number of First Nations children being removed from their families and the rising death toll of Indigenous people in custody. The MPs are urging the Labor government to take immediate action by fully implementing the recommendations outlined in the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the 1997 Bringing Them Home report on …

Bolivian Indigenous Women Empowered Through Taekwondo Training

El Alto, Bolivia – Following a terrifying assault that nearly cost her life, Bolivian Lidia Mayta found solace and empowerment through the practice of taekwondo. Now, three years later, she plays a vital role in training Indigenous women in self-defense techniques to combat the prevalent gender-based violence in Bolivia. The incident that sparked Mayta’s journey into taekwondo involved would-be robbers who attacked her outside her home, threatening her life in an attempt to steal her …

Death of Indigenous Man in 2022 Reveals Worrisome Failures and ‘Missed Opportunities’ in Darwin’s Maximum Security Facility, New Inquest Finds

DARWIN, Australia – An inquest into the death of a 37-year-old Indigenous man in 2022 in Darwin’s maximum security Holtze prison has revealed several failures and “missed opportunities” in the prison’s health facilities. The deceased, a Maiyali man from a small Northern Territory community, died in palliative care at Royal Darwin Hospital after suffering a heart attack while serving a prison sentence. The tragic death occurred after a series of concerning events in which he …

Indigenous Community Outraged After Day Parole Granted to Penticton Woman Who Killed Great-Grandson’s Mother

Penticton, British Columbia – Laurie Wilson and her husband, Dan Wilson, stood on the steps of the Penticton Courthouse to express their frustration over the parole of Roxanne Louie’s murderer, Grace Robotti. The Parole Board of Canada’s decision to grant Robotti day parole after serving only seven years of a life sentence has stirred outrage among Louie’s family and the community. Louie, an Indigenous woman, was beaten to death with a crowbar and struck 26 …