Episode Seven: Human Trafficking News & Headlines

Stolen Voices Episode Seven - Human Trafficking News & Headlines

In this special news and headlines edition of Stolen Voices, host Nicole is joined by producer Greg to examine several recent stories shaping the conversation around human trafficking in First Nations communities.

Together, they discuss the conviction of Nathan Chasinghorse and its lasting impact on Indigenous communities across Canada and the United States, the proactive efforts of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service through Operation Buffalo, emerging concerns around cross-jurisdictional trafficking networks, and findings from recent national reports on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples.

Through a First Nations lens, Nicole and Greg explore the broader issues connected to human trafficking, including community safety, systemic vulnerabilities, economic development, transportation corridors, man camps, prevention, and the urgent need for Indigenous-led solutions. This episode offers listeners an opportunity to better understand how human trafficking continues to affect Indigenous communities today and why awareness, education, and collective action remain critical in the fight against exploitation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome back to Stolen Voices, the fight against human trafficking in First Nation communities, a podcast dedicated to amplifying truth, centering indigenous voices, and confronting the realities of human trafficking. I'm your host, Nicole Robertson. This podcast exists because our people deserve to hear the truth about how human trafficking impacts First Nation communities. And because we have leaders, survivors, advocates, and frontline workers who refuse to let the silence enable violence. In this episode, we're doing something a little different. Instead of sitting down with a guest, I'll be joined by our producer, Greg, as we walk through several recent news stories connected to human trafficking in First Nation communities. These stories reflect patterns we continue to see, the targeting of indigenous women and girls, trafficking that crosses jurisdictions, and the ongoing impacts felt within communities, both urban and rural. While each story is different, together they help paint a clearer picture of how trafficking is showing up today and why awareness, prevention, and community-led responses remain so critical. This episode is about taking a step back to look at what is being reported and what it means, and how these stories connect to the broader realities facing First Nation communities. And now we're joined by our producer Greg. Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Thanks, Nicole. I thought it was important that we include an episode focused on what's happening in the news regarding human trafficking, especially stories that have had an impact on the communities we serve here at G4 Justice and across the treaty territories of treaty number six, treaty number seven, and treaty number eight.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Thank you, Greg. I think conversations about human trafficking and MMIWG can be difficult stories to hear and imagine. They highlight why awareness, education, and truth matter so much. Human trafficking continues to impact indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and vulnerable people at very high rates. We must stay informed and continue pushing these conversations forward in a meaningful way. So with that, we will discuss some recent stories in the media and the broader conversations they're creating within First Nation communities.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Let's get into the news, Greg. Sounds good, Nicole. So I thought that it was important for us to just touch on the story of Nathan chasing horse. Uh, because throughout a lot of the engagement that I've done with his name has come up several times, and I know that there are people living in these communities that we serve that are dealing with the repercussions of his actions, and it goes back decades. So I'm just gonna give us a brief overview on Nathan Chasing Horse. He was born on April 28th, 1976, on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He first gained international recognition for his role as Smiles a Lot in the Academy Award-winning film Dances with Wolves. In the years that followed, he appeared in additional film and television projects and became known in some circles as a self-described spiritual leader who traveled widely across North America. Authorities in the United States and Canada later alleged that Chasing Horse used that position of influence to exploit indigenous women and girls over a period spanning decades. Investigations have indicated that his activities extended across multiple jurisdictions, including Nevada, Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta, with some allegations dating back to the early 2000s. In January 2023, Chasing Horse was arrested in North Las Vegas following a police raid. Prosecutors alleged he led a group described in court as a cult-like organization, using spiritual manipulation and coercion to control his victims. In Canada, his case has had direct connections to Sutina Nation and the broader Treaty 7 area. The Soutina Nation Police Service confirmed that a warrant remains outstanding in their jurisdiction in relation to alleged offenses dating back to 2005, including charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation. These charges are considered significant for acknowledging and supporting victims within the nation, even as proceedings in the United States have taken priority. Police have stated that their investigation involved victims connected to Alberta and that they continue to support survivors, noting that additional individuals may still come forward. While specific communities of victims are not always publicly identified, the investigation has been described as spanning regions that include Treaty 7 territory. Nathan Chasinghorse was sentenced in Las Vegas to life in prison and the possibility of parole after serving 37 years. This concluded his trial, where a jury found the former dances with Wolves actor guilty on 13 of 21 felony charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault involving minors. Despite the U.S. conviction, Canadian legal proceedings are not concluded. Authorities here in Canada have indicated that outstanding charges, including those connected to satinination, remain unresolved and potential next steps, such as extradition, may be considered following sentencing in the United States. The case has drawn widespread attention across Indigenous communities in both the United States and Canada, including Treaty 7 Territory, highlighting ongoing concerns about violence against Indigenous women and girls, as well as the misuse of cultural or spiritual authority. Nicole, are you able to give us a little bit more context to this? What are some of the things that you've heard about this case over the last couple of decades? And how do you feel it's affected some of the communities that we're a part of?

SPEAKER_01 6:12

So for starters, I wanted to say to the victims of Nathan Chasing Horse that it is an absolutely horrible, horrendous just what the victims went through. My heart goes out to them and their families. You know, with this case specifically, I remember when this uh first had occurred when people were starting to talk about it, because of course um I live um close to uh the Satina Nation and have friends uh for quite a long time for the past 30 years um on the Satina Nation. So um, you know, this this case and what uh it implicated um was, you know, very hard to hear and couldn't even imagine, you know, for the young uh women that, you know, were involved in this case, what they went through. So um I just want to say that, you know, I'm very, very happy that he was sentenced just recently to life in prison. Um and with the possibility of parole after 37 years, I can only imagine being, I don't even know what he's in his forties, and uh that's you know, you're literally in there for the rest of your life. Um, because yeah, your your 80s um is probably will be the time that he's eligible for parole. Um that being said, that I think that, you know, having this cross-jurisdictional uh thing, we see the border as a medicine line between Canada and the US and the legal proceedings that occurred. What you mentioned, you know, with the Canada having indicated that outstanding charges, including those connected to satination, remain unsolved, and potential next steps, such as extradition, may be considered following uh the sentencing in the US. I think that there needs to be definitely follow-up in that. They need to have also his day in court here for the victims, for their families. Um, obviously, yes, you know, he is doing time in the US. And really, we look at North America as, you know, a whole continent that our people once roamed freely. And Satina specifically has family up in, you know, the Cold Lake Denis area, um, because they are Denai Beaver people. And then they also have family down in uh Phoenix, and um they're related to the uh the Navajo nation. So um that being said, you know, I I think that for somebody that's worked in in television and film and seeing uh what happened in this scenario, I often wonder, you know, with with Nathan, you know, and the people that had followed him, you know, the whole thing around um being an actor in a movie like Dances with Wolves and having, you know, at such a young age, he was he was in that movie and wondering, you know, what what had occurred with him. And I also wonder at the same time, you know, how this all uh came about, you know, with this cult-like um following. Um I I haven't really been involved in in hearing too many cult-like followings. Um, but that's not to say they don't exist in an Indian country. I think that uh this is maybe something that's uh a little bit more current. I could be wrong about that, but as far as I I'm aware, you know, um I I I know that this is the first I've heard of in terms of this this type of extreme uh sexual exploitation, sexual assault, and even um human trafficking involved. And so I I wonder, you know, is this something that's to come? With the times we live in and what we've seen and what you and I have uh covered this past season so far, it makes me think that that's a possibility.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Yeah, and there's a couple things that really stick out to me about, you know, the Nathan Chasing horse case. I actually just looked it up. He's actually 50 years old now, so he'll be um 87 before he's eligible for parole. I've talked to one of the police officers and I've seen uh this police officer present on the Nathan Chasing horse case and his involvement in the case and sort of the frustrations that he ran into with the cross-jurisdictional aspect of the problem. Something that also stood out to me about it is the way that the justice system works a little bit differently in Canada as opposed to in the United States. You know, in Canada, there's much more of a focus on ensuring that we do what is best for the victims. And with all of the sort of legal ramifications happening down in the states, it's really kind of taken a lot of the um, it's taken a lot of the wind out of the sails of the of the officers and um the victims and the family of the victims that are up here in Canada. It's it's taken the matter almost completely out of their hands. And I know that's been very frustrating. And I also know that there were community members from our area that were able to go down to Las Vegas and watch his sentencing. And I I hope and I have heard that that has provided some small sense of uh catharsis or closure for people that have been affected, you know, by his actions over the decades. And I do hope that I do hope that some of the victims and families um have found a sense of closure. Obviously, it's a very hard thing to move on from and it doesn't happen overnight. But I do hope that knowing that he's gonna be locked up for a very, very long time provides a sense of safety to some people. And I think that it is beneficial for us to just talk a little bit about the way that he sort of infiltrated the community because I think that that is a lesson that we can take away when it comes to, you know, how he was able to sort of gain control over his victims. And, you know, he he presented himself as a medicine man and as a spiritual healer. And obviously, I think that his his past as a bit of a you know movie star, you know, only kind of increased the amount of sort of charisma and mystique around him. Um, how do you think that he was sort of able? What was his entry point into these communities and into meeting his victims? I heard that he would often travel the powwow circuit quite regularly, and that was how he he met several of his victims. Do you have any sort of insights into that or any experience with how how a man like this is sort of able to infiltrate a community and you know start grooming and preying on on his victims?

SPEAKER_01 14:26

So, from my understanding, um he did frequent the powder trail, but he was also very much involved in ceremony. And so, you know, being invited into ceremony in uh First Nation communities, Native American communities, um and so in that in itself creates sort of a um established sort of respectful um what you think to be respectful, of course, because you're going in with the intention of spiritually healing, but also praying for others. So it's you know a circle of trust, essentially, you know, when you're you're either fasting with a group of uh people that you're um praying with, and and so there's that trust that's being built, you know, in that way. And I think in all sort of realms, if we look at like the emotional, the um physical, the um mental, and the spiritual, I believe like spiritually, when you you get into somebody's um psyche or even community, um that is like the bond that you can either um break somebody's because you're really, you know, at the foundation level of of somebody's spirit, right? Because spiritually you're allowing somebody to essentially lead you in a way. So I believe that that was probably the main thing that was, you know, led a lot of people to believe that he helped to take away certain things and was given that sort of, you know, go-ahead to to be praying and with people. And I say it in a two-way as a predator. Um, and and it really at that level, a lot of people still have a lot of healing to do because um I, you know, know from through friends um that that is it completely takes a long time to heal from is that type of uh you know mistrust and also um not just that, but um completely taking advantage of the person in a setting that is uh a spiritual place.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Yeah, I agree. Um, you know, one of the things that I sort of hear over and over and over again is the way that predators and the way that they prey on their victims, you know, it has so much to do with sometimes um filling a need that some people feel that they have in their lives, a need to be seen, a need to be loved. Um, you know, sometimes also um an addiction to drugs and alcohol uh can be involved. And the way that some of these predators are able to sort of get into the minds and the psyche of their victims and, you know, control them without the use of force is something that I think is really concerning. And it's a story that we hear over and over again. And I think that the case of uh Nathan Chasing horse, I think it's useful for us to sort of look back on this and um learn some lessons in things that can be done and warning signs that can be seen uh when it comes to this type of predatory behavior. So let's move on, Nicole. I wanted to talk a little bit about Operation Buffalo. And this happened a little bit over a year ago now, but I think that it's worth talking about because it's a really good example of police um that are able to do proactive work. You know, an example of um police that are able to sort of um get involved before a situation happens. Um, a lot of the time, the way that we measure the success or the efficiency of policing services is how much of the work that they do is proactive compared to how much of the work that they do that needs to be reactive. And I'm so proud of the Soutina Nation Police Services, who we call Toscuna in Soutina. And I'm so proud that they were able to sort of take some initiative and do a proactive operation to prevent some human trafficking from happening on the Soutina Nation. Um, Project Buffalo was a major undercover investigation led by the Soutina Nation police, um and it uncovered alleged human trafficking activity involving the possible sexual exploitation of indigenous youth within the community. According to reporting by APTN News, the operation called Operation Buffalo resulted in 10 men being charged with a total of 31 offenses, including child luring and obtaining sexual services from minors. Police stated that the investigation revealed multiple individuals attempting to arrange sexual encounters with underage girls, highlighting the ongoing demand driving exploitation. Importantly, authorities noted that none of the accused were from Soutina Nation, reinforcing patterns where outside perpetrators target indigenous communities. The operation involved collaboration between Soutina Nation Police and the Calgary Police Service, demonstrating the importance of interagency cooperation. Police leadership emphasized that proactive enforcement strategies are critical in disrupting trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable youth. For First Nations communities, this case underscores the very real and present risks facing youth, particularly the targeting of Indigenous girls by individuals coming from outside of the community. It also highlights the importance of Indigenous-led policing, community awareness, and culturally grounded prevention efforts to protect future generations within Treaty 7 territory. What I think was really great about Project Buffalo, as I said earlier, was that it was sort of a proactive attempt to really mitigate the problem of human trafficking in this area. And there's been a couple misconceptions about what this operation actually was. It was a victimless operation. You know, in the in the police agencies, it's referred to as a John Sting operation. And, you know, I've talked to many of the officers that were involved in this work. Um, and I'm just very thankful. You know, what really stands out to me is basically what happens is they put out, you know, an ad of an underage girl and are then sort of able to bust the perpetrators preemptively. Um, so this this was a victimless crime, um, but it did lead to, you know, 10 men being charged. All 10 men were people from outside of. community, which I think is really important to note that this is people coming from outside of the community and making attempts at this kind of sexual exploitation of minors on on you know First Nations land. Nicole, what are your sort of thoughts about you know this operation and the the role of the Sutina police and and the police service um in the community?

SPEAKER_01 22:26

So I think they're doing an outstanding job first of all I want to say Tuscuna's you know uh been uh a leader amongst many uh First Nation uh police forces in the whole country so um you know my my hands up to them and just thankful I you know the the questions that we get asked so many times is who are these men what you know like when we when we start to think about how do we keep our our sons daughters nieces nephews you know um people young people in our in our at just people period in our families safe you know these are the things that we we think about you know like what what characteristics what are some of the prevention pieces around you know human trafficking and so when we look at the sexual exploitation of indigenous youth uh within the community um you know it's it's 10 men that were charged when we listened to uh Josie Nipinak who is the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada she had mentioned something along the lines of when these busts happen it shuts down and then all of a sudden it's like you have 400 more you know people that are at it at this the same sort of a new site that is opened up you know and it they just are like cockroaches where the light comes out and then they all squimmer somewhere else and and then it's like they're somewhere you know being dark and doing what they're doing um online and luring children and um looking at trying to you know uh just it's just horrible is what it is and is absolutely tragic and I think we live in a time where as um people you know uh they're much more at risk you you see online uh indigenous uh young girls that have gone missing uh one that specifically was just uh you know found um and then you know the and and young boys as well um I want to ensure that I mention that it's it's genderless um and looking at you know ways of trying to protect our future leaders our uh future um ancestors our future um community members that are right now at risk and it's it's something that I've always known as an indigenous woman growing up and knowing even back in the you know 80s um and 90s that you always had to be careful with um even before the internet with strangers and specifically being you know either First Nations Metis Inuit living in our own country upon our own lands and territories and this is something that you know has gotten even worse with uh technology now as Kurt had said in his interview when we look back it's like they have much more ways of perpetrating and uh these you know people that are out to um you know exploit us and um you know human trafficking is becoming such a massive problem uh a huge uh problem outside of AI I would say it's up there you know in terms of um you know just our risk and extreme uh extreme I just worry about the future of our future generations because our people are online our youth are online and I want them to be safe.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

Yeah thank you for that Nicole and I completely agree with everything that you said and I'm so proud of the Sutina Nation police service for the work that they do. The work that they do is so important and culturally grounded and you know some of the best police officers in Canada I truly believe are are working there. And um it's really inspiring to know that the community does have a set of police officers that are so dedicated to proactively protecting the community. And I wanted to move on now to this sort of story that I picked up from global news. And I'm gonna paraphrase this a little bit and have a discussion with you just sort of about the awareness piece and the fact that this is a problem that is clearly on the rise now that we're getting so much more reporting on it. Reporting from Global News has highlighted how human trafficking cases involving indigenous victims often span multiple jurisdictions, including Alberta and neighboring regions. In coverage connected to broader investigations, authorities noted that victims and alleged offenses have ties to communities across Western Canada, including areas within Treaty 6, 7, and 8 territories. Police indicated that trafficking networks frequently move victims between cities and provinces, making detection and prosecution more complex. The reporting emphasized that indigenous women and girls are disproportionately targeted due to systematic vulnerabilities including poverty, housing instability and intergenerational trauma. Officials also noted that additional victims often come forward as investigations gain public attention, suggesting the true scope of exploitation is likely underreported. Law enforcement and advocacy groups have stressed the importance of survivor supports and culturally appropriate services in these regions. The story further underscored that trafficking is not limited to urban centers, but impacts rural and reserve communities as well. For First Nations communities this highlights how trafficking is not isolated but deeply interconnected across regions, meaning that individuals from Treaty 6, 7 and 8 territories may be moved, targeted or impacted far beyond their home communities, reinforcing the need for coordinated, culturally informed responses across jurisdictions. And I think Nicole that this goes back a little bit to also you know so many of the stories that we have unfortunately heard about trafficking victims from First Nations communities. And it also ties into Nathan chasing horse and the the challenges that it brings when victims are moved across different provinces, territories, states, different borders you know human trafficking can exist when victims stay fairly stagnant in you know the places that they are perhaps they're being moved from home to home or from house to house perhaps they're being moved from motels to hotels and sometimes they're being moved from different cities to different provinces to different countries. How do you think that this sort of plays in to some of the difficulties that communities experience when it comes to um victim support you know it all goes back to doing the best that we can to support victims and support families and this just increases the complexity of the issue so much. What do you think we can do? What do you think can be done?

SPEAKER_01 30:42

So first of all I do believe that all of this uh specifically uh trafficking and um the luring um the um all this this story here specifically and not just stories these are people's lives indigenous women and girls I want to make sure that we we look at that in on a in a real like way um that poverty is the root um and that it all leads to you know the your housing if you have a a a home that is stable um and of course the intergenerational impacts of residential schools the 60 scoop the current child and family um you know um and what's being done with a lot of our children that are being taken from our homes um but I know of this specific story because I heard about the cross border trafficking meaning um they would move say people from um and they call it the triangle so it would go say from Edmonton to um Saskatoon down to Regina then back up to Edmonton or Calgary up to Edmonton over to Saskatoon down to Regina back to Calgary or you would have Regina Saskatoon Winnipeg Regina you know so um the prairie provinces are really extremely um bad and known for this specifically and where there is of course man camps where there is a lot of uh economic activity um in terms of you know uh natural resources there is a link between that our women um are disproportionate rights because we are living in the rule we are closer to man camps we are closer to um um you know places where you could be at risk uh if you don't have a vehicle this ties back to your financial and socioeconomic status you know um and not having access say to a vehicle um and you know some people call that high risk if you're hitchhiking um I just think that you know that I was asked at one time at this murdered and missing in uh people's conference you know uh you know we were having this discussion and I said you know this um person this young indigenous woman that was hitchhiking um she ended up murdered and I asked you know um there should be a public service announcement you know that women should indigenous women specifically should not be um in this area you know um hitchhiking and essentially uh one of the uh authority figures that was you know speaking to it said well this indigenous woman led a high risk lifestyle and I said is hitchhiking really high risk did she deserve to die because of hitchhiking and I literally was bullied and we're talking about actual you know federal police authorities that were ganging up on on what I had had to had to say about this and so we have to be super uh extra uh vigiligent when we're looking at ways of trying to protect our own um and this just came out recently in the news around you know listening to some of our elders our worldview and looking at ways of of staying safe and being safe in this world I think it all goes back to culture it all goes back to ways of knowing who you are and even if you are in a place um that isn't completely um I would say uh you know uh grounded in these things there's ways of finding that there's ways of always you know trying to protect your spirit so I just want to say that for this specific story on this cross border trafficking investigations I know from what I heard that this is more of uh moving moving trafficking um young women in these prairie provinces and it being like a triangle and moving them all the time and I always think you know when I'm passing bigger trucks and that kind of stuff it this this comes to mind and I'm thinking and praying I hope that that's not the case.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

Wow yeah thank you for sharing your knowledge about that with us Nicole it's so insidious you know and it's not only this sort of vicious triangle but this vicious circle I wanted to move on now to a report that came out from the AFN uh the Assembly of First Nations and I'm gonna paraphrase some of the findings here a national report covered by the Assembly of First Nations has brought renewed attention to the human trafficking crisis affecting First Nations communities including those in Treaty 6, 7 and 8 regions. The 2025 Progress Report on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls identified trafficking as a growing and urgent form of violence impacting indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people leaders emphasized that trafficking occurs not only in major cities, but also along highways near industrial developments and within community networks. The report linked the crisis to systemic issues such as colonialism, racism, and ongoing socioeconomic inequalities it also highlighted gaps in funding and coordination, noting that responses remain inconsistent across jurisdictions. Survivors and families continue to be excluded from decision-making processes, limiting the effectiveness of interventions. The Assembly of First Nations called for stronger federal action, long-term funding and Indigenous-led solutions to address trafficking at the community level. For First Nations communities this report reinforces that human trafficking is not an isolated issue but part of a broader pattern of systemic harm, underscoring the need for community-driven solutions, sustained resources, and meaningful inclusion of indigenous voices in shaping prevention and response efforts. So there are a lot of things in this report from the AFN on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and I mean so many things are sticking out to me about this report you know the gaps in funding and also something that's a real topic right now is what's happening on First Nations land in terms of economic development and roads and highways being built Nicole can you give us some uh context and you know from someone that's really being in the community and someone that does a lot of this grassroots work and research and you're also someone who stays very informed on these issues.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

Can you sort of point out what really sticks out to you in this so what sticks out to me in this report this national report from the AFN is you know the renewed attention to human trafficking and the crisis that affects First Nation communities it is at an absolute crisis level. We um as First Nation uh women girls to Spirit plus peoples are at uh disproportionate and in fact at an absolute all-out uh crisis level of um major um trafficking that is occurring not only in major cities but on first nations so we look at here um in treaty number seven you have the Sony Nakota nation that has the Trans-Canada highway that goes straight through the the First Nation and also the 1A so it runs uh east-west it goes into Banff and then onto Vancouver um and so that highway specifically has been problematic meaning much more than problematic it's it's it's caused even death you know um you have people that live on uh one side of that highway and it's what uh six lanes I believe at least four so two and two um and in certain places three and three so you know going east and then going west and um this happened probably about a decade ago a young woman was trying to cross to get home and she got struck and died and so that in itself just shows that the mobility you know just even trying to get from A to B puts you at risk not only with traffic but also looking at people that are coming through that major artery that takes you right across the country and people that are in you know um uh either sinister type of people that uh are into human trafficking to uh people that uh you know have assaulted people that are um you know in who knows uh bigger type of trucks to uh moving people that's a major uh risk for the Estonian Accord nation I know that um you know that area specifically there is some some places of interest along that route that can be definitely um uh dangerous extremely dangerous in the times that we live in and looking at the uh systematic issues around um you know being a First Nation woman girl uh two spirited uh person um you know there is definitely um risks that are associated with just being just going from A to B in a city for instance or um if you are in the rule um or for instance you know your vehicle dies in you're on the highway and you have to get help um that could put you at risk it's it's a very very um you know scary situations that happen that um is even even more so now that we're living in the geopolitical landscape that we are um in in Alberta specifically and I just you know I I think that um smudging and praying is super important for someone like myself um and others of course within our community but I realize that you know human trafficking is not going away this is why this podcast exists and we need to be a part of the solutions in um giving out you know prevention tips so maybe uh Greg if you want to um chime in here and and perhaps give some prevention um that would be great I think that Josie Niepanak you know when you interviewed her for our podcast a couple episodes ago I think that she spoke to this really eloquently when she said that you know safety begins with the home fires and safety begins with community and keeping each other safe and keeping each other informed in the community and spreading the word about these things and and getting the message out there.

SPEAKER_00 42:58

And you know there's so many different levels at which we can attack this problem. You and I have worked quite a bit on you know the prevention and the awareness piece this podcast is one initiative and one example of how I hope that we're able to raise some awareness and increase the level of prevention in in communities.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Fantastic and yeah I think that you know G4 and yourself uh Teddy and the whole team there are doing a tremendous job um specifically working with Tuscuna the uh Satuna Nation Police Force and also the uh First Nations Police Governance um association um that's looking at you know different policing models and protecting our own it's super important that we do that and look at ways of sharing that information with other First Nations

SPEAKER_00 44:00

Yeah. And when it comes specifically, I wanted to dig in a little bit more to this highway and the roads. And I know that it's been a big concern to the Stony Nakota nation. It's about the impacts that communities endure when these kinds of projects, these highways, these economic developments, you know, now we're starting to talk about nuclear sites and we're starting to talk about AI sites and the construction sites, the effect that it has on the land and on the nature. And specifically when it comes to human trafficking, could you talk a little bit about any experience or stories that you've heard when it comes to these big projects being set up in such close proximity to First Nations land?

SPEAKER_01 44:51

So the man camps that you're talking about, there's actually a few movies that were um, you know, that were produced in this past 10 years. Uh one uh with Ed Norton and Nicholas Cage, I believe. And um, and right now the name actually I it's it's not coming up, but I want to say that with man camps that are uh uh set up during a massive economic um you know infrastructure in Canada, you know, who is the first people that you know have the impacts of those um you know major infrastructure projects? It's normally First Nations because it's occurring in and around our traditional territories. We have treaties that predate Canada, and so um with the crown, meaning with uh the UK, the the monarchy, the former um well, now it's King Charles, but you know, looking at treaty number seven that was entered into 1877, you know, um this this territory here and the train tracks that go across uh you know this beautiful country of ours, um that that happened in order to uh connect, you know, uh coast to coast. Um and when you when you look at the historical um you know uh story of how Canada is and what it is now, um it always has you know um the story of how you know colonial uh settlers first uh arrived upon these shores and with the interest of either gold or finding uh the new world, as they called it, um, to look for treasures, you know, and so that whole mindset hasn't stopped. It's definitely something that our people, when we talk about, you know, land and our connection to it, it's not just about, you know, oh, we want money, we want these things. We actually want clean land, clean water, clean air, not just for our future generations, but for everybody. We're talking about society as a whole. We don't uh look at these things and go, oh, it's just our people. No, our actual indigenous worldview is uh it's about humanity as a whole. And so when we get back to the basic, you know, uh thing around man camps and and how they um essentially put our women, our girls at risk, that's an actual fact. That's an actual uh study that the Spirit and Sisters campaign, um, and looking at the Native Women's Association of Canada and many other things that you can cite and look on the internet, um, and it's closely related to uh indigenous young girls. We're talking seven, eight, nine, ten, um, even younger than that, teenagers missing and literally gone without a trace. And still to this day, there's literally in the thousands, tens of thousands of missing murdered indigenous women and girls and two-spirited people plus, you know, it's it's at a absolute crisis level. And we as uh, you know, aunties, as uh mothers, as grandmothers, as um women in our community that you know give birth to to our community are so heavily um weighted when this happens in a community. It's like a huge ripple effect, and it never goes away, especially for those families that are dealing with not knowing whatever happened to, say, their daughter, you know. Um, and this has been happening since the fur trade. Um, and this is something that's not going away and won't go away. It's it's something that we need to arm our young women with in terms of uh their own safety, in terms of what we can literally give them to uh embrace um just the safety and how they can go about being safe.

SPEAKER_00 49:52

Yeah, and Nicole, I uh forgive me if I keep sort of pressing this topic, but this this man camp thing just really keeps getting stuck in my mind because I think it's something I haven't dug that deeply into yet in my own sort of professional education. And I also think that being here, you know, treaty six, seven, and eight situated within, you know, the province of Alberta, there's such a culture here of, you know, people that work in the oil rigs and you know, people going up north, and you know, you you you probably most of us know lots of people who, you know, have friends or family that work in shifts, you know, days on and days off in these in these construction sites and in these man camps. And it's just something that it keeps getting stuck in my head. What exactly do you know of is going on in these man camps that is posing such a risk to First Nations women? Is it the fact that these men are looking for sex and finding it, you know, in these communities and alongside the highways, you know? And I think it's I I really want to get this sort of message out there just because of the culture here in Alberta and, you know, the idea of, you know, all of these, the the idea that all of these workers are spending, you know, weekly shifts on and weekly shifts off at these man camps. Do you know anything about how these places are run? Like what is the protocol? Is there any safety in place? Like what goes on in these man camps? Because I really think that this is a topic that the average person in our area is really unaware of.

SPEAKER_01 51:42

So um man camps are essentially row-by-row um housing for men that work in remote locations where there is infrastructure going up, as in, say, for instance, a pipeline to a um looking at some oil and gas, uh, you know, uh to a diamond mine, to um, you know, getting resources out through different ports. And and so what that means in terms of, you know, our our women and our um the survival um of our communities and the matriarchs that live within First Nations is that the whole um thing that has happened since since the beginning of time with two different cultures coming together, is that our women have always either had to endure um uh extreme cases either of torture, rape to um sex trafficking during the fur trade to um straight out missing and murdered. So you look at the movie The Revenant, there's a real, you know, um graphic scene there that I won't share, but you know, if you watch the movie, you know what I'm talking about. There's also you know the movie Wind River, right? And so um that's actually was shot here, um the the Wind River 2. And so that movie also um is is about um you know the murder of a young woman on the Wind River in Indian Reservation in Wyoming. And if you have a chance to to take a look at that one as well, it discusses the actual, you know, um the awareness and the issue of the high number of indigenous women um who are murdered, both on and off reserves in in the south. And so, um, and this is something that uh so for instance, that movie uh premiered in Sundance. So we're talking about, you know, internationally, these stories are known. It's not just a Canadian story, it's not just an Alberta story or a prairie story. This is something that's far-reaching and something that um that we still need to um, you know, either, well, we're discussing it, but implement um safety, implement ways of arming our women and uh girls and two-spirit uh peoples, you know, we're at a at a place in this country where we have to ensure that temporary workforce um and the housing to accommodate this large influx of high-paid workers are not using their um place within these areas where First Nations are. This major, sinister, and absolutely horrific scenes that have occurred, that are still occurring, and that need to stop, period.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

Understood. Thank you for the clarity around that, Nicole. And I wanted to also, you know, just talk about some reporting that's come out of the Native Women's Association of Canada. Um, it was a real honor to have their president, Josie Nipanak, um, sit down for a conversation with you a couple episodes ago. And so, seven years after the 231 calls for justice, and five years into the national action plan, critical funding is now being reduced or allowed to sunset while so many of these problems and violence not only persist but is getting worse. Today, Indigenous leaders are warning of a human rights regression as critical advocacy funding ends. Indigenous women have always led these solutions, Nicole, and Canada must meet its moral and legal obligations with sustained equitable funding for Indigenous women's organizations to end these ongoing issues. Can you talk a little bit about the 231 calls for justice and the national action plan?

SPEAKER_01 56:27

So the 231 calls for action and the plan around it, um, that out of the 231, I believe two have been implemented. And we're talking now about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls action plan. This is something that came out of many tears and advocacy of indigenous women that stood at the front line saying, enough's enough. We've had, you know, how many uh women and girls, even you know, you look at Winnipeg, for instance, and you know, the former premier there, essentially making it about money and how much it would cost to dig up an indigenous uh couple, uh three indigenous women, I believe. And so you you think wow, uh this is something that we as a country need to look at. And I'm so super happy that this current premier of uh Manitoba, uh Wab Canu took the initiative to uh dig up, you know, and did find actually um the the um the women, the young girls, I should say, um, that were found in the landfill. And so it goes to show that there is a um I'm super happy that they have the premiere that they have in Manitoba. Uh, Wabkanoo has done such a brilliant job of helping to be that voice for our women, our community nationally, and that we're getting to this place of hopefully, you know, um for these calls to justice, that we can just look at ways of trying to implement um these things that um are in the action plan. But I just want to make mention here, too, that the critical funding that is being reduced, this has happened to us before. This is something that's nothing new, but we're at an actual you know fork in the road. And it's by no uh coincidence that we have Canada's, you know, big national action plan for infrastructure, all this money that's being sent and and put towards um, you know, mining and prospecting in this cut in this country. And then you have the down um, you know, the the funding that's essentially being taken away from the actual uh people that help um indigenous women and girls in this country, um that that funding is is leaving. And so what you're gonna have is the collision of an absolute all-out um real extreme crisis of much more incidences where there will be missing and murdered and indigenous women and girls and two spirit plus peoples, um, the vulnerable. And it's super sad to say that, but I pray that that doesn't happen. But with what's happening currently in this geopolitical landscape that we're living in, that's just what I what I see happening, and it's super sad.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:17

It can be very disheartening, you know, and I agree with you on everything that you just said there. And I also, you know, I really, really appreciate the work that Wab Canu is doing right now. And I think that he's such a great example of a fantastic leader. Um, and I have to say, I really enjoyed watching him school uh Premier Smith of Alberta here at a con at a press conference not too long ago. It was so refreshing to see somebody um in such a public and straightforward, but also in a very non-aggressive and peaceful way, kind of set her straight and call out the mistruths that she was speaking a couple of weeks ago. I'm assuming you you you've seen that clip as well circulating recently.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:15

I did, and I and I said before you know, when he first became premier, I said, now we have somebody that will be able to speak about many things that have persisted in this country. And for the first time, we have a premier sitting at that table that can speak to all the things. So I was definitely happy to see um the facts and to know, of course, because he's been brought up, you know, in such a really good way around uh ceremony and you know, uh fabulous wife, um, you know, uh Dr. Lisa Canu. Um and so, and yeah, you know, it's it's really good to see a fantastic First Nation premier that's just you know laying the groundwork and hopefully maybe will become the next prime minister, the very first First Nation Prime Minister, I'm hoping.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:16

Yeah, I think that, you know, one of the things that we talk about a lot in this work is looking for hope and looking for light and looking for finding the positivity where we can find it. And Wab Kanoo has always been, you know, one of those people where, you know, to see him conducting himself as he has and elevating himself to the level that he has, he's one of those figures in our political landscape that gives me a lot of hope. Now, I wanted to move on here, and this is the last story that we're gonna cover today, and I kind of added this in last minute because I saw this post from the Calgary Police Service chief of police, Katie McClellan, and she posted this um early last month, and I just wanted to read this statement. She made a statement about child abuse cases in Calgary right now. Um, and I just wanted to read this statement and you know, read it as is, unparaphrased, because I think there's a lot of information here to dig into. So to quote um Katie McClellan, Calgary Police Service Chief. Every Calgarian should be concerned about the number of child abuse cases currently under investigation in our city. I spoke to the Calgary Police Commission last month about how these files are among the most complex, traumatic, and resource-intensive cases we handle. Each case represents not just a criminal act, but a profound breach of trust and safety for our most vulnerable citizens. The toll these investigations take is significant. It impacts our officers, our civilian specialists, our support teams, and of course the families who rely on us for justice and protection. The emotional weight of these cases is real and it is carried quietly but relentlessly by the people who work them. In this case, that's 15 detectives who are currently assigned to the child abuse unit, with nine spots currently vacant. Alongside our partners at Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Center, those detectives are assigned, on average, 45 files a month. That's 45 of our youngest and most vulnerable being victimized each month. It's also happening online. Our Internet Child Exploitation team tackles this issue every day. Nearly 700 files have already come into this team, and that's just for Southern Alberta. This is indefensible. In addition to these deeply concerning trends, we're also seeing the growing impact of human trafficking in our city, an issue that is often hidden in plain sight. Human trafficking is not confined to major urban centers elsewhere. It's happening right here in Calgary, affecting both adults and youth who are coerced, exploited, and stripped of their safety and dignity. Our counter-exploitation team continues to uncover cases where vulnerable individuals are being manipulated through violence, addiction, financial control, and online recruitment. These investigations are complex, dangerous, and urgently require the specialized resources necessary to identify victims early, support them safely, and hold traffickers accountable. This is not just a policing issue, it's a human rights issue and one that demands sustained investment and collaboration across our entire community. Unquote. I found it really interesting. I've been noticing a real uptick lately in the language being used by both the policing sectors, the justice sectors, the government sectors. There's been a real uptick in the actual words human trafficking being used. And so it feels like we're moving the needle a little bit in the awareness of this. And of course, there's lots of organizations that are doing great work, you know. Um, not in my city with Paul Brandt comes to mind. Um, but it it was interesting to me to see the chief of police, you know, feel the need to specifically put out this message about human trafficking and the the youth that are at risk in in Treaty 7. Um, what are your thoughts on this, Nicole? I know that this isn't specifically a First Nations case. And in fact, to me, it feels a little bit like, well, this is something that First Nations communities have been, you know, dealing with at a really high level for a long time, right? What are the first sort of thoughts that come to your mind after hearing um that statement from Chief Katie McClellan?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:20

What uh comes to mind is, you know, the well, number one, I I feel extremely profoundly sad um when I I learn about, you know, children that are being abused, tortured, um, you know, uh molested and and everything else that that has happened and is occurring, you know, in the in this time that we live in. And it also brings me back to some of the stories of what has happened with the young girls and boys that attended the residential schools, these are firsthand accounts of actually um hearing stories of how they were um they were absolutely tortured or raped or even died at residential school. And so for those that don't believe that there is um, you know, uh uh missing, just go and take a look at some of the archives and that are buried or burned in these uh institutions, horrific institutions, not schools. Um, there's there's issues, extreme issues. So you look at the foundation of a country, and that's what occurs if you don't learn from it. And so when you look at this recent story, there was a Ontario couple, and they were guilty of murdering a boy and torturing um the brother, and this is recent as of just May 15th, 2026, uh on the CBC. Um, and it was an Ontario couple found guilty of murdering a 12-year-old and confining and assaulting his younger brother while the children were in their care over a number of years, and they'll be sentenced July the 3rd in Milton, Ontario. And so you think, my goodness, you have two uh people uh in this case, they're in their mid-40s, uh, Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber. Um, and so both of them, you know, um, they essentially got custody of these indigenous brothers from the Ottawa area, and um their identities have been protected under the publication ban. But um it's deep the this uh in in what they had said in this CBC news report, they hated the boys, they deeply resented them having to come into their lives and not having turned out to be what was expected, and so they were in in a dungeon-like bedroom and wasted away and died in December 2020, 2022, and it demonstrating a deliberate intention to kill the child. So you look at something like that and you go, My goodness, we're living in a time that there's people that have such insidious, dark, absolute vile and evil spirits. Um they they should be put away forever and never ever be allowed to be around children. So I feel very strong about this. I heard about this story, and a lot of our people, you know, once something like this comes out, it's it goes and it's shared, and our our people have to have had to live through so much pain in our own country, and yet in this day and age, this this story here is just new. It's something that is on, like I said, the CBC, May 15th, 2026.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:26

If you want to uh take a look, it's so disheartening the cruelty that some people are capable of, you know. And I was at a community engagement session not too long ago, and Nicole, you kind of touched on, you know, CFS and residential school, and you know, circling back to sort of the the topic of human trafficking, something that I've heard over and over again was that residential school was a form of human trafficking. And also to a certain extent, CFS has been to the indigenous people a form of human trafficking as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:10

I agree. I think that, like I said, the foundation of this country, we really need to take a look at what and how, and you know, when we talk about the big R word reconciliation, um truth needs to happen before reconciliation. I've always believed that. And, you know, let's look at the truth, let's look at the why these things happen, why they persist, where is this coming from? How are we dealing with it? Where are these people actually, are they being sent or actually doing something about, you know, the crimes that are being committed um against our community members? Um, are they you know, like it's just there's so many questions that we that we have, and I have specifically. And I think that, you know, it takes it takes a whole community to come together and to say, you know, enough's enough. And I know that we have, we we are, and we need to continue to um raise the alarm bell because um I think that in this time that we're in, it's just we're living in very tumultuous times. So it's it's super important that we unite.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:27

All right, Nicole. Well, thank you so much for all of your thoughts on these issues today. Like I said at the top of the episode, I thought it was really important that we just sort of had a discussion that sort of centered us in the present of some of these human trafficking issues. And as you often, you know, close out your discussions with our guests on this program, I wanted to ask you what gives you hope and what gives you optimism, you know, as we as we continue to do this work and continue to hear these stories that we're reporting on today. What is it that grounds you and centers you and keeps you such an optimistic and positive and and fun person?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:16

Thank you, Greg. I I really honestly enjoyed this past hour speaking um about and with and for uh indigenous uh, you know, women, girls, two spirit plus our whole community. And it's such an honor to um be the host of Stolen Voices. It's also a responsibility. What gives me hope is our culture, our ways of being, our ways of understanding that we still have so much connection to our ancestors, uh, to this land, to the water, and to each other. And so when we come together with like-minded people, we can heal, we can look at ways of trying to um invest our time in bringing about um healing, but also prevention and ways of trying to uh make this world a safer place for the up-and-coming generations of future leaders and those yet unborn. So, in in that, I want to say that I uh have always and will always um make that my personal mission is to ensure that we have a safer country for all Indigenous peoples and to also ensure that our allies um that work alongside us like yourself, Greg, I'm super honored that we are helping to bridge that uh gap that exists and that we are working together to create a better world.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:08

Thank you so much, Nicole. And on that note, shall we close out this podcast? And hi, hi, kinenaskomiton.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:16

Oh, thank you, Greg. And I'm so happy you are learning some Cree. Hi, hi, Kinanaskumiton. And we are super grateful and thank you for your time. We really enjoyed our discussion and hope we helped to um advance your knowledge, uh, wisdom, and insight into the fight against human trafficking. To our listeners, thank you for joining us for this episode of Stolen Voices, the fight against human trafficking in First Nations communities. If this conversation brought up strong emotions or memories, please take care of yourself. Reach out to a trusted support person, community resource, or crisis line. This podcast exists because our stories matter, our people matter, and every single stolen voice deserves to be heard, honored, and protected. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1833-900-1010. It's available 24-7, confidential, and judgment free. You can always reach out to us by email at Soulinvoices the podcast at gmail.com. Please subscribe to the podcast, share it with your community, and follow G4 Justice for updates. Until next time, stay safe and stay informed. Hi hi, Kieranaskmitten, which means in Creek, thank you. I'm very grateful.