WINNIPEG -- Warning: this story contains offensive language
A mediation circle in Opaskwayak Cree Nation announced conditions two women are required to abide by following their racist social media posting last summer.
It involved two women making hateful and racist remarks towards Indigenous people.
The two women, one from Flin Flon, Man., the other from a neighbouring community on the other side of the Saskatchewan border -- made the Facebook post in July of 2018.
The thread began with a rant from one of the women about her car and property being vandalized and escalated to one of the women proposing a "24-hour purge" and the other proposing "a shoot an Indian day."
The accused were part of a mediation circle held at the request of the Lieutenant Governor. The recommendations were made public Wednesday.
In a news release, OCN Onekanew (Chief) Christian Sinclair said, “It was a fair process that allowed both of the accused to share space with First Nations elders and leadership. Based on Cree law, everyone in the circle was considered an equal so there was a chance to understand the perspective of every person who participated.”
The women will be required to complete culturally appropriate anger management workshops, attend a cultural awareness camp, seek counselling, write handwritten apology letters to news outlets, complete 80 hours of community service on a First Nation, write an essay on an Indigenous issue, and stay away from social media.
“This is a historic opportunity to deliver restorative justice from a First Nations perspective that allows us to include conditions based on the seven sacred teachings (courage, respect, truth, honesty, love, wisdom, and humility),” Sinclair said.
If either of the two women don’t accept the terms and conditions requested by OCN, they will be referred back to the criminal justice system.
The women would normally only have four months to complete the recommendations, but the mediation circle is strongly recommending that they have one year.
