OPP 'can do better' responding to missing, murdered indigenous women, chief says
Isadore Day says he had to intervene in case of Charnelle Masakeyash, missing in Pickle Lake
A new report from the Ontario Provincial Police on historic cases of missing and murdered indigenous people is a step forward, but the Ontario Regional Chief says the case of a woman currently missing in Pickle Lake, Ont. shows more needs to be done.
Isadore Day raised the case of Charnelle Masakeyash during a news conference held by the OPP on Wednesday, where they released their report showing eight of the 54 murders of indigenous women investigated by OPP remain unsolved.
Masakeyash, a 26-year-old mother of three from Mishkeegogamang First Nation, was reported missing on Nov. 8. The OPP called in their emergency response team a week later and then suspended their ground search on Nov. 19.
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"Certainly the investigation at Pickle Lake right now is one of those cases where we need to use that as an example of, how do we make things better?' Day told CBC News.
Day said the chief of Mishkeegogamang First Nation asked him to intervene when the OPP called off the ground search.
"The chief, Connie Gray McKay, reached out to me," Day said. "There were real questions and concerns about the relationship and the rapport between First Nations and the OPP."
OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes said after he received the call from Day a regional commander was sent to Mishkeegogamang to "clarify all those issues."
"There's misinformation that happens at times and then that causes concern within the community that maybe the police aren't doing enough, because [community members] don't know what's happening behind the scenes," Hawkes said.
"We always need to do a better job when it comes to communication," he added. "That's some of the plans we've been working on in the past number of years."
Day said the OPP report is a "building block" towards a new relationship but there's a need "to ensure when there is goodwill and a high level commitment, that it is being implemented at the ground level."
Members of Mishkeegogamang continue their efforts to find Masakeyash.