Justice for Our Stolen Children camp dismantled in Wascana Park

The Justice for Our Stolen Children Camp, which was set up near the Legislative building in Wascana Park after two high-profile homicide acquittals, was being dismantled by authorities early Friday morning.

Regina police showed up before 5 a.m. and began bagging up peoples' belongings and supplies, according to one person camped out.

All structures were taken down except the teepee. The camp has until Sunday at 12 p.m. CST to take that down and vacate the park entirely.

Campers were allegedly told if they did not help dismantle the structures and help haul away items, they could be charged with obstruction of justice. 

"[This camp] has brought healing to many families that have not been able to find that kind of support anywhere else," Robyn Pitawanakwat, spokesperson for Colonialism No More, said.

Pitawanakwat has been involved with the camp since the beginning. 

"It is incredibly bizarre and in keeping with Canada's nature that during Aboriginal History Month and just days before National Aboriginal Day, while Treaty 4 and Metis flags are flying on the bridge behind us, this is when they decide to clear out the Indigenous people," she said.

Pitawanakwat also said that the government would set meetings and not show up, but then show up when no one was around the camp to try and talk.

In a statement, the government said differently.

"Representatives of the Government of Saskatchewan and Cabinet have visited the camp multiple times and offered to set up formal meetings on many dates and in many locations. These have been refused," the statement read.

Ministers Don Morgan and Ken Cheveldayoff spoke to reporters about the dismantling of the camp earlier today.

Morgan said the camp had been in operation for a long time and had caused other events planned for the site to be rescheduled or moved. He added the park was never intended to be an overnight campground.

"It was intended to be used as certainly people could go there, protest, exercise their rights as they see fit. But a campground is something that just can't be there on an ongoing basis," he said, noting issues like landscaping and watering the park also had to be considered.

Cheveldayoff said that ministers had attempted to arrange meetings with the camp organizers, but were unable to arrange times that worked.

"The offer we made to meet still stands." 

Although others described the tone of the takedown as cordial, Pitawanakwat said it was not peaceful. 

"There is nothing peaceful about removing families, Indigenous or otherwise, from land," she said. 

"This is part of our history though. We are used to being displaced and that it continues today is horrifying."

Gaylene Henry, a supporter of the camp, agrees. 

"It's just another slap in the face to Indigenous people. When I feel unsafe to come back to my own homeland, to my own backyard, it's not a good feeling," she said.

"I'm sad to say that I'm not surprised because this is just another knockdown in a long line of fights."

One of the campers, Prescott Demas, had asked a Justice Ministry official if it was possible for the camp to move to another part of the park but the official said that would still be a violation of an eviction notice.

Members of the camp have been in the park for more than 100 days.

Earlier this month, the province issued an eviction notice to the campers and hoped to have them off the lawn and out of the way in time for Canada Day celebrations.

The camp had been set up to protest perceived injustices against Indigenous people by the Canadian justice and social services system, while also drawing attention to broader societal problems in general.