During the hearings, which were held at the beginning of 2018 on the effects of energy development, were brought to the light gruesome facts of rapes and other sexual assaults on women between the 1950s and 1980s, when large groups of the male workforce were delivered to the region for Hydro development and construction. Report from Manitoba`s arms-length Clean Environment Commission contained accusations on behalf of the Fox Lake Cree Nation.
Kevin Hart, regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, thinks those women, that come forward, are entitled to a compensation for all the physical harm and mental trauma happened to them decades ago.
As Hart said, this not the first time he heard about this, people were talking on that matter for years, but most voices were not taken seriously and the majority of the incidents left without any investigation, punishment or consequences for men, who are responsible for such sexual abuse.
The report presented at the court hearings earlier this year contained facts and statements on many cases when sexual violence was done to local women, as well as mockery based on origin and other injustice on a racial base. Dome witnesses spoke during the hearings, describing rapes and other sexual assaults, also stated that RCMP failed to take complains seriously at the time.
Sustainable development Minister Rochelle Squires called facts disturbing and sais, they are paying great attention to such allegations and will make sure that every case will be investigated thoroughly.
A Manitoba chief thinks compensations will not undo all the harm that was done to local women at that time, nor will it erase the bad memories of those incidents, but it can help the victims with their lives nowadays. He is not sure where the funds for compensations should come from, who should be held responsible and what amount is fair, but it should be set by the court and enforced by the law.