A small tent village has sprung up in front of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada office near downtown Regina, where seven people spent a frigid night.
It is a solidarity camp whose occupants are demanding the federal government take immediate action to deal with the housing and mental health crises plaguing many isolated First Nations across the country.
The attempted suicide of more than a dozen young people on the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario was the spark that ignited the protests at five Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) offices across Canada, including Regina. The others include the head office in Gatineau Quebec as well as offices in Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver.
The Regina office was closed on Friday and remained closed on Tuesday.
Protester Star Andreas is among those who spent the night in a tent. She said she hopes their message is being heard.
“It’s too early to tell right now but we are going to stay here until we get some sort of justice for the children,” she said.
“We are staying here….we are the warriors that are protecting our future and our children.”
INAC is monitoring the situation. In a written statement the department says it has closed the offices in the interests of public safety, but does respect the rights of lawful protesters.
Melody Crick is also one of the Regina protesters who spent a cold night in a tent. She was shivering as she vowed to continue the campaign for as long as it takes.
“We are sick and tired of not having clean water, not having decent housing for First Nations people, it’s just got to stop, we are getting to our wits end,” she said.
The small group in Regina has been getting a lot of support, with about 30 people joining them for a rally during the afternoon rush hour on Monday. Another rally is planned for 5 p.m. on Tuesday.