Winnipeg mayoral candidate's comments about Indigenous men condemned
First Nations leaders and rival candidates are condemning remarks made by a Winnipeg man who wants to be mayor.
Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock said Indigenous men need to do more to stop violence against women.
He stands by the remarks made at a mayoral forum which garnered backlash and demands for an apology.
Surrounded by supporters outside city hall, mayoral hopeful Robert-Falcon Ouellette, held a news conference to denounce the comments made by Woodstock.
Ouellette, who didn't hear the remarks himself, said he learned about what was said through the media.
"Some comments were made which were extremely inappropriate, racist, unfortunate," Ouellette said.
It happened during a forum hosted by the Council of Women of Winnipeg Thursday night at John Osborne veterans club which 10 of 11 mayoral candidates attended.
It was a forum focused on issues of safe and affordable access to transit and ways to improve safety for women.
Brenda Buleziuk, council president and forum organizer, said Woodstock's remarks came after a different candidate brought up the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
"When it came to him his remark was he felt Indigenous men should look into it and we were all kind of surprised by that comment,” Buleziuk said.
Woodstock said he has no regrets and stands by his comments.
"Chiefs, elders – they have a responsibility in playing a very significant role where murdered and missing women are concerned in terms of the men in that society,” Woodstock said Friday.
Grand Chief Garrison Settee of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak called the remarks ignorant and uninformed and urged Woodstock to apologize and to reconsider his decision to run for mayor. The grand chief said many First Nations men are working to reclaim cultural teachings and to end gender-based violence.
Deputy Grand Chief Cornell McLean of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs called Woodstock’s comments appalling and demanded an apology.
McLean said the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is systemic and societal, linked to the violent impacts of colonization, assimilation and the removal of First Nations children from their homes.
"He should think before he speaks,” McLean said. "Violence happens everywhere, not only for First Nations men. It happens all over the place, right, so we're the first ones to put the curb to it in terms of getting healing."
Ouellette said Woodstock should know better.
"I must say I'm very surprised,” Ouellette said. “I think sometimes saying you're sorry is an appropriate reaction.”
Grand Chief Settee said comments like Woodstock’s do nothing to improve public safety in Winnipeg, which has the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada. Settee said such remarks only create division and spread misinformation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.