Members of the Atikamekw community marched Thursday towards the Joliette hospital to “honor the memory” of Joyce Echaquan, this mother who lost her life three years ago to the day under a rain of racist insults in the Lanaudière health establishment.
The invitation to the march was launched by the Native Friendship Center of Lanaudière, as well as by the Council of the Atikamekw Nation and the Office of the Joyce Principle, an organization created in the wake of the death of Mr.me Echaquan to guarantee equitable access to health care for all Indigenous people.
Several personalities were on site, including first and foremost the Minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Ian Lafrenière. Joyce Echaquan’s husband, Carol Dubé, also came for the occasion, as did members of the management of the CISSS de Lanaudière.
Joyce Echaquan died on September 28, 2020 at Joliette hospital in circumstances that were disturbing to say the least. Her state of health had been poorly assessed and prejudices surrounding Aboriginal clients had led health professionals to judge that she was withdrawing from narcotics.
Progress, but…
“We are doing this to be able to mark this day, but also to tell Joyce’s family and children that we have made progress in recent years, that it is leading to real changes on the ground,” says the director of the Lanaudière Native Friendship Center, Jennifer Brazeau.
She maintains that public discourse today is more focused and open to indigenous issues. According to her, people in positions of power – particularly in the health network – are also much more attentive to Indigenous communities than before.
That said, there is still much to do. “It still takes something that goes beyond political will. It still takes systemic changes in institutions,” says M.me Brazeau, who does not hide his “disappointment” to see the Legault government continue to deny the existence of systemic racism in recent years.
A year after the death of Mme Echaquan, in October 2021, coroner Géhane Kamel recommended that the Legault government “recognize the existence of systemic racism” and make “a commitment to contribute to its elimination” to prevent a tragedy like the death of Joyce Echaquan from happening. reproduces itself. To date, the government has never done so, instead reiterating that racism exists, but there is no system accountable.
Since last year, the family of Joyce Echaquan has been suing the CISSS de Lanaudière for neglecting the health care that should have been given to the 37-year-old mother, which caused her death. His relatives are seeking $2,675,000 in punitive damages. “It’s difficult today to experience this, but we want justice to be done for my daughter, for Joyce,” said the mother of the deceased, Diane Dubé, last year.
The CISSS will not reinstate the attendant
The CIUSSS de Lanaudière also confirmed Thursday that it refuses to reinstate the beneficiary attendant who was fired following the death of Joyce Echaquan.
Last August, a labor law arbitrator concluded that one of the two employees dismissed following the death of Joyce Echaquan was unfairly dismissed, by asking the CISSS de Lanaudière to reinstate the attendant Myriam Leblanc and him pay the salary he owes her.
Arbitrator Serge Brault recalled that the Atikamekw mother died in September 2020 under “a scandalous and dishonorable shower of racist insults”, but that the professional errors committed by the beneficiary attendant that day were much less serious. than those of the nurse, which justifies a six-month suspension without pay, and not dismissal.
This decision was officially “appealed” on September 18, confirmed the spokesperson for the CISSS de Lanaudière, Bianca Desrosiers, whose group said it “disagrees”.
Initially, it is Mme Leblanc who had contested his dismissal with the support of the CISSS de Lanaudière Workers’ Union before the Grievance Arbitration Tribunal. She was one of two employees heard in a video captured by Mme Echaquan on September 28, 2020 at Joliette hospital, just before his death.