‘All we can do is hope’ change will come: Morin friend responds to MMIWG report

Fox is the spokesperson for Ashley Morin’s family. The 31-year-old was last seen in North Battleford on July 10, 2018. Her disappearance is considered suspicious and remains under investigation by the RCMP.

“We are 12 times more likely as First Nation’s women to go missing or be murdered. How sad is that?” she said, fighting back tears.

While Fox said many of the recommendations pertain to prevention, and Morin’s family is unfortunately past that point, she welcomed aspects of the inquiry’s findings.

Fox greeted calls for police services to build relationships with Indigenous people, specifically the families of missing persons, something she said is lacking among local forces.

“I have said this over and over and over again. It could be as simple as assigning one police officer to check with the family once a week or once every couple of weeks,” she said.

While she understands Victim Services has been established for this purpose, the family has had to opt out for personal reasons, and until recently, have felt support is not there. Recently, however, Catholic Family Services hosted a gathering, which she described as amazing.

“They really did help us feel like we did have somebody on our side, that there was somebody in our community that cared, that Ashley was human to them,” she said. “That she wasn’t just a statistic or a number. They gave us that feeling of a great big hug from the organization itself.”

Further, residents have organized an online auction, which has received an outpouring of backing from hundreds of people.

Fox also applauded calls in the official MMIWG report for the establishment of culturally competent crisis response teams to immediately meet with families after a traumatic event, alongside ongoing support.

Funding for resources after someone goes missing, Fox said, is one component she felt was lacking from the inquiry.

“Ashley has been missing for nearly a year and there are no resources for searches, for dogs, or boats. I was hoping for that stuff somewhere,” she said.

Fox said the family has inquired about hiring dogs or asked for access to boats, but aside from one helpful farmer, scrambling together cash to pay for searches is difficult.

“We just don’t have the finances or the funds to bring those on,” she said.

Asked if she thinks the report will be a fast-moving catalyst for change, she said all one can do is hope.

Following the inquiry’s release Monday, Indigenous leaders were swift to call for immediate action to the report’s findings and “Calls for Justice.”

Fox echoed this sentiment and said it will fall on groups like the Assembly of First Nations and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations to push for a hasty response.

“I don’t think we as the family of Ashley Morin can light a fire under anybody, but maybe [those groups] can get things done,” she said.

To mark one year since Morin was last heard from, her family and friends plan to walk from Saskatoon to North Battleford along Highway 16 on July 12. Walking only during the day, they anticipate it will take three to four days.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

‘All we can do is hope’ change will come: Morin friend responds to MMIWG report

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