Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement

by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

One family’s experience in investigating the murder of their loved one stands out. I met Kaykaitkw Harron (Syilx and Nlaka’pamux) in Vancouver, and she shared about how they mobilized community in the interior of BC to find her cousin, Roxanne Louie, when the police were failing. This young woman explained that they were pounding on the RCMP’s door every day, occupying the space to ensure they were doing their job. They also contacted everyone they knew in Roxanne’s circles and encouraged them to share with police. The family encountered a typical racist response by police who thought that Roxanne “was out partying,” and this was also reported in the media. Kaykaitkw stresses how important it is to stop reinforcing those stereotypes and talks about how even community members who had internalized this view took a step back from looking for her because of this. She notes, as do many others in the video, that when a loved one who is usually in contact with folks everyday stops being in touch, something is wrong and action is required right away. The importance of public vigils to create media presence cannot be understated. Roxanne’s family held a Walk of Faith and ceremony in the hopes that she would come back to them safely. They actually marched through the neighborhood of Roxanne’s in-laws, who they suspected were involved in her disappearance. This applied pressure to those who had committed the crime to come forward. This incredible community effort led by her family le...