Helen Betty Osborne honoured 50 years after murder

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/11/2021 (1139 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fifty years after Helen Betty Osborne was murdered and her body found near the pump house at Clearwater Lake north of The Pas, family and friends placed tobacco and flowers at the site to honour their loved one on the anniversary of her death.

“I believe it is important to remember my auntie, Helen Betty Osborne; to honour her life, to reflect upon the terrible injustices that surrounded her death, and to continue moving forward with the legacy that she left behind,” Kimberly Osborne, a spokesperson for the family, said in a statement.

As part of a daylong commemorative program organized by a local committee and The Pas Family Resource Centre, attendees gathered Saturday, first at the Guy Hill Residential School site, and then at the pump house near Clearwater Lake to pray, sing and celebrate the life of Osborne.

“There is still work to be done to ensure the safety for all Indigenous women, girls and men,” Kimberly Osborne said. “By honouring her life, we continue to work for change and to have our voices heard.”

The “reclaiming and reconciling justice” event began at sunrise in the community about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg and also included a sacred fire, feast, vigil and a ceremony with remarks from a number of politicians and First Nations leaders.

Helen Betty Osborne was 19 years old when she was abducted and killed by four men near The Pas on Nov. 13, 1971.

Originally from Norway House Cree Nation, the high school student who had aspirations of becoming a teacher was walking in The Pas after an evening out with friends when she was forced into a car and driven out of town.

It took more than 16 years before the assailants were charged and one, Dwayne Johnston, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison; of the three other suspects, James Houghton was acquitted, Lee Colgan received immunity from prosecution in return for testifying, and Norman Manger was not charged.

Widespread outcry over the trial, allegations of racism and neglect throughout the investigation, and the 1988 fatal police shooting of J.J. Harper, sparked the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry that same year.

The inquiry found racism and discrimination against Indigenous people was evident in the investigation of Osborne’s murder and concluded she would not have been killed if she had not been Indigenous.

“It was racism that fuelled the murder of Helen Betty and long-standing obvious systemic racism that galvanized First Nations to seek justice for all Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and gender diverse peoples,” Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said.

“We thank all who have recognized this day and who have pledged in Helen Betty’s name to make this society a safer, more caring place for First Nations women and girls.”

Southern Chiefs Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said Osborne will continue to be commemorated by holding “all levels of government accountable for addressing systemic racism in the justice system.”

Daniels called for renewed efforts to ensure cultural competency and anti-racism training for people working in the justice system and to enhance systems to hold police accountable.

“While we recognize the efforts of governments to correct past wrongs, recent events such as the police killing of Eishia Hudson and the ongoing overrepresentation of First Nations citizens in the criminal justice system, remind us that there is still much more work to be done to address racism in policing,” Daniels said.

Renee Kastrukoff, executive director of The Pas Family Resource Centre, spoke on behalf of family members unable to attend due to a recent death of a relative, and thanked everyone for commemorating Osborne.

“Betty’s death has affected multiple generations already. The factors that led to her death are still happening today,” Kastrukoff said. “Racism, colonialism, injustice, stereotypes and the intergenerational traumas that still affect our people so heavily.

“Our Indigenous women, girls, men, boys, two spirit and gender diverse communities deserve to feel safe,” Kastrukoff said. “In order for that to happen people need to stand up and demand change.”

Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere apologized to the Osborne family on behalf of the province and said the anniversary is a sombre reminder of “important work that remains to be done.”

“We are committed to working with family, survivors, community based organizations and Indigenous leadership and continuing intergovernmental and interdepartmental work to respond to the issues related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals,” Lagimodiere said.

 

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca