Mr. Speaker, today we honour the memory of Johnson Redhead, the little six-year-old boy from Shamattawa First Nation who went missing and, tragically, after days of searching, was found deceased. Johnson was loved by his family and community. Many rallied from communities across our region to look for him. We all mourn his shocking death.
As has been said, Johnson's tragic death did not just happen. His family and advocates are calling for an inquiry. We must be clear on how Canada, in particular, failed Johnson Redhead through a lack of coordinated care and safety protocols to help children with complex needs on first nations, the chronic underfunding of education and health, and the persistent third world living conditions in a community like Shamattawa with an acute housing crisis and acute poverty. Shamattawa is the same first nation that will be at the Supreme Court next month fighting Canada for its right to clean drinking water.
As we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and we wear our orange shirts and state that every child matters, we honour the memory of indigenous children forced into residential schools, survivors and their descendants, like Johnson Redhead, whose lives matter, and we call on Canada to act now for justice.