U of S student urges boycott of Regina hotel, in support of MMIWG

Nearly four years after a woman died from injuries sustained at a Regina hotel, a University of Saskatchewan student is pressing people to take action against the business.

"I think we all have an obligation to our missing and murdered indigenous women," said Kayla Lavallee, explaining why she encouraged a Saskatchewan First Nation to not hold its Christmas party at Regina's Delta Hotel.

Nadine Machiskinic fell 10 storeys through a laundry chute at the hotel in January of 2015 and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. A chief coroner concluded the death was accidental, but a jury later reversed that decision, finding the manner of death was "undetermined." 

Lavallee said from reading news reports, she didn't believe the hotel had reacted appropriately in reaching out to Machiskinic before her death, when she was in distress, or afterward, in responding to her fatal injuries.

"Even though time goes by, I think it's really important not to forget," said Lavallee.

"When I put myself into Nadine's shoes, and I thought, OK, 'If it was me, I would want people to know. I wouldn't want people to support this business.' "

Loss of aunt makes cause personal

When she saw Ochapowace was holding the Christmas event at the Delta, Lavallee said she thought of her own aunt, who went missing and was found dead just six months ago.

"When I put it into that perspective, it didn't seem like a choice to email [Ochapowace], it seemed more of an obligation to email them," she said.

Ochapowace First Nation Chief Margaret Bear said her First Nation chose to move the party after receiving Lavallee's request, in solidarity with Machiskinic's family.  

"We all understand what we go through as nations, and the healing process. It was about supporting one another as Indigenous nations," she said.

"We definitely stand together in a lot of our injustices."

A Delta Hotel spokesperson declined to comment on the Ochapowace decision to move its Christmas party.

Civil suit filed

Machiskinic's family has filed a civil suit against the hotel, alleging "the defendants were negligent in the construction, maintenance, repair, design and failure to sequester, and monitoring of the laundry areas."

In a statement of defence, the Delta defendants "deny any negligence on their part causing or contributing to any injury of Ms. Machiskinic."

The allegations have not yet been proven or tested in court.

Merchant Law Group, which has filed the suit on behalf of the Machiskinic family, said it is now looking to take the case to trial.