Advocate makes four findings and issues four recommendations to address provincial public service gaps and systemic barriers that affect children, youth, and young adults in Manitoba.
TREATY 1 TERRITORY AND HOMELAND OF THE RED RIVER MÉTIS, Winnipeg, Man., June 22, 2023 ––
The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) released Memengwaa Wiidoodaagewin
(Butterfly Project), a special report in honour of Eishia Hudson, who died as a result of a gunshot wound inflicted by a member of the Winnipeg Police Service on April 8, 2020. Empowered by The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (ACYA), the report assesses the public services that were received by Eishia and her family prior to her death with the goal of increasing the effectiveness and responsiveness of those services, while also honouring Eishia’s story.
“Our entire team extends our sincerest gratitude to Eishia Hudson’s family for meeting with us and
sharing personal stories about Eishia,” said Manitoba Advocate Sherry Gott. “It was important to our
office to develop this report in collaboration and consultation with her family, Elders, community
members, community leaders, Indigenous governing bodies, service providers, and subject matter
experts to ensure we had a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the issues at hand.”
An essential element of the investigation was understanding the story of Eishia Hudson, and how her
family experienced, navigated, and were impacted by public services in Manitoba. Eishia’s family shared stories about her life, and helped MACY understand Eishia’s life beyond the service files the office reviewed. As Gott explains, “Eishia was daughter, a sister, an auntie, a friend, a student, a caregiver, a community member, an athlete, and a close one to so many. Her legacy will be one that will be honoured and remembered for years to come.”
Structured in three parts, the Memengwaa Wiidoodaagewin report follows Eishia’s life based on MACY’s investigation into the provincial public services that were provided to her and her family from the start of her life until her death. The second section focuses on youth-police interactions, outlining opportunities for collaborative solutions to address youth experiences of systemic racism. The third section looks closely at strength-based wraparound supports, focusing on protective factors and how Manitoba can ensure all children and youth have access to effective services.
Based on a detailed review and analysis of the provincial public services provided to Eishia and the
individual-, family-, and community-level environments involved in her life, the Manitoba Advocate is
making four findings and issuing four recommendations. They are as follows:
FINDING 1: Eishia was never charged with a criminal offence, but contact with the Winnipeg
Police Service is documented throughout her life. This experience is not singular to Eishia, and is
reiterated in the life story of many children and youth who come into contact with MACY. The
potential negative consequences of police contact, or experiencing a violent confrontation, indicate that unnecessary and punitive contact must be mitigated when in the best interests of
children and youth.
FINDING 2: When reflecting on their individual and community experiences, some youth
described experiences with police as characterized by violence, verbal abuse/threats, negative
and unprofessional conduct, being judged based on their past/community affiliations, not being
helped, and racial discrimination. These experiences resulted in some young people feeling
distrustful of police, uncomfortable around them, holding strong negative feelings, and feeling
the need to be hypervigilant to mitigate interactions.
FINDING 3: Young people have a tremendous amount of insight into what they are going
through, what they need, and how the relationships between Black, Indigenous, and other
racialized youth and police can be improved.
FINDING 4: School-based wraparound services provided to Eishia by the COACH 1 program
responded to Eishia’s needs and are consistent with the principles of Article 28 of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
RECOMMENDATION 1: MACY recommends that the Government of Manitoba provide the
resources necessary for the development of a youth model of the Alternative Response to
Citizens in Crisis (ARCC) program.
RECOMMENDATION 2: MACY recommends that Manitoba Justice, through the Public Safety
Training Strategy Steering Committee, engage in appropriate community consultation with
children and youth, youth-serving organizations, and experts in child and youth development, to
ensure the final products of the Public Safety Training Strategy are informed by a youth-centred,
anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed lens.
RECOMMENDATION 3: MACY recommends that Manitoba Education and Early Childhood
Learning, in collaboration with Manitoba Mental Health and Community Wellness, and all
additional partners of COACH, provide the resources necessary to conclude, and make public, an
evaluation of COACH 1, and the COACH Expansion Site programs.
RECOMMENDATION 4: MACY recommends that Manitoba Education and Early Childhood
Learning, in collaboration with all school divisions, expand the availability of wraparound
services (i.e. school engagement support services or programs tailored to student, school, or
community need) in school divisions across Manitoba.
“Fundamentally, the findings in this report stress that it is essential that young people are consistently afforded the opportunity to express their voices, have resources and supports via community-led responses, and have their input integrated into institutions to ensure authentic change occurs,” stated Gott. “The recommendations put forward today, when implemented, hold the potential to bring about meaningful and lasting change to address systemic shortcomings, fostering a more equitable and just future for all young people in Manitoba.”
Read the Memengwaa Wiidoodaagewin (Butterfly Project): Honouring Eishia Hudson report here:
https://manitobaadvocate.ca/reports-publications/special-reports/