THUNDER BAY – Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is speaking out on the role that Indigenous searchers have performed in recent missing person cases:
“I want to set the record straight about the tremendous role that Indigenous searchers have played in several recent search efforts for missing people in the City of Thunder Bay.
From what I am seeing in the news and on social media the public seems to be under the misconception that the remains of several missing people have been located mainly due to the actions of Thunder Bay Police Service. This is not true.
“On May 11 the Thunder Bay Police Service announced that the search of a derelict waterfront grain facility for Mishkeegogamang First Nation members Ashlynn Bottle and Nodin Skunk was unsuccessful. Neither the family nor community accepted that. They are still there, a kokum told me. I believed her. A volunteer team of Indigenous searchers located their remains three days later.
“Likewise, it has not been properly acknowledged that a non-Indigenous man missing since 2024 was also located by independent searcher efforts, not the police. People had looked for two years. An Indigenous searcher, who came to Thunder Bay to assist with the search for Webequie First Nation member Kelsey Anderson, found these remains in a matter of days. How? A Spirit told him where to look. Shockingly, and after travelling all the way from Winnipeg to help, this searcher was then shamefully accused of just trying to claim a reward.
“I am increasingly concerned about miscommunication from the police to our grieving families and search leaders. One family was told in error last Thursday that their loved one had been found. Some family members of Kelsey Anderson were horrified when police posted a final update on his disappearance before they were contacted.
“Requests by search leaders for regular meetings with police were ignored. Intentional or not, these actions have caused tremendous pain and have needlessly retraumatized these families and community members. I have met with many of them over the past few weeks.
“Their pain is real and their distrust of the police is growing.
“The public needs to understand what actually happens when our members go missing. And they need to understand how our Indigenous searchers are proving to be more effective than the police.
“Indigenous searchers do not rely on protocol and procedure. They are guided by the Spirits who lead them where they need to go. In the tragic case of Ashlynn and Nodin, the Spirts told our searchers where to look, but the authorities did not listen. They discount our knowledge and culture because they don’t respect it.
“I do not mean to cause additional grief for those who have lost their loved ones or be critical of well-intended actions by people with good intentions. But we cannot be afraid to speak these hard truths. Our leaders are becoming so concerned that there are growing calls for a dedicated Indigenous-led search effort to be established in Thunder Bay.
“I respect the role of the police when it comes to these investigations, and NAN cooperates as best we can. But that respect must be returned. Instead of being treated with ignorance and abuse, Indigenous searchers must be recognized for their unique gifts and abilities that have directly led to the conclusion of many of these cases.
“Our ways and methods are different from first responders, but they are no less valuable – or effective. It is this city’s failing that the people in authority remain blind to this.”
