Indigenous Affairs Minister Dwight Ball fielded serious questions in the House of Assembly yesterday following the tragic death of Tama Bennett, a young Inuk woman in Happy Valley-Goose Bay last week.
The Nunatsiavut Government is calling for an independent investigation after the Nain woman’s body was removed from a tent in a wooded area near Happy Valley-Goose Bay last Friday.
RCMP are investigating, but say the woman’s death does not appear to be suspicious. Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe questioned whether the same conclusion would be drawn were the young victim not homeless and Indigenous.
Those same questions were put to Indigenous Affairs Minister Dwight Ball by Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans and Leader of the NDP, Alison Coffin in the House yesterday.
Evans asked “have we not learned anything from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry?” She says a lack of proper investigation was behind many of the cases, the numbers of which continued to rise, unchecked because they were Indigenous.
NDP Leader Alison Coffin says Labrador has a homelessness problem, a mental health crisis, a suicide crisis and a recent rash of tragic deaths. She says it’s clear government hasn’t been doing enough to help.
Ball Shares Concerns, But Calls for Patience as Investigation Continues
Premier Ball offered his condolences to the family and friends of Tama Bennett and says there has been engagement with Indigenous Leaders in Labrador.
Ball says he doesn’t know the details on where the investigation is right now, but says the Chief Medical Examiner is involved and are expecting a thorough investigation. He says it is unfortunate, and he shares those concerns. He says they want to make sure the concerns get answers, as families deserve answers.
The Premier says these things do take time, and they expect the RCMP to do a thorough review and investigation, anything otherwise would be unacceptable.
He says they’ll let the investigation unfold, and then will see what answers come from it. Hopefully the answers will be there to address the concerns of President Lampe, and the family and friends of the young woman, says Ball.
