The sending of a hateful, sexist and threatening letter to a Garden River First Nation woman is under investigation by Sault Ste. Marie and Anishinabek Police Services.
36-year-old Lesley Belleau is a resident of Garden River First Nation, currently enrolled in Trent University’s Indigenous Studies program in Peterborough, Ontario.
Belleau’s sister relayed the letter to her via social media.
The letter was originally mailed to a Garden River address and received Thursday January 31.
Belleau told us the document contained Sault Star and Sault This Week clippings regarding her work with the Idle No More movement.
In an e-mail, she states: “There were drawn guns and penises all over the pictures and the letter wrote: 'You are a dead piece of s---. A good Indian is a Dead Indian. Stay away from the SOO Lesley Belleau'.”
Speaking to SooToday.com, Belleau said: “I was absolutely horrified to think that somebody would take the time to cut out newspaper clippings and deface them with racial comments, as well as comments that were highly sexual in nature. There were drawings of male organs all over it, which is alarming too, that they brought in a sexual element to the threats.”
Belleau says she has been targeted because of her role in organizing recent Idle No More protests on Highway 17 east of Sault Ste. Marie and because she has written numerous articles on indigenous issues, especially those concerning indigenous women.
Belleau told us this is the first such threat she has received, but added her father was the target of threats during the 1990s.
“Whenever anybody takes a step forward to make our voices heard, that’s when people come out and target people who take positive cultural action for indigenous people.”
Belleau told us: “I don’t feel insulted, because I’ve been dealing with these comments for the past 20 years, my whole life, I’m past the point of being insulted.”
However, Belleau states: “there needs to be accountability from these people, its completely irresponsible and racist for them to do this. It about time people stopped targeting indigenous people for having opinions and beliefs and working toward change. This is a prompt for me to speak out more.”
“I’m concerned for the well being of myself and all indigenous people who are the targets of such threats. We can’t let them silence us, because going to a place of silence will create fear among our people that there will never be change.”
Belleau said she is confident investigators are doing their job.
The letter has been fingerprinted by police as part of the investigation.
Constable Sonny Spina of Sault Ste. Marie Police Service told SooToday.com the Garden River detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service will receive any assistance they need in the investigation.
The Curve Lake Anishinabek Police detachment, near where Belleau is currently studying, is also involved in the investigation.
Sgt. Karen Bell of Anishinabek Police in Garden River told us: “We are in possession of the documents that were mailed to her. We obviously are treating this very seriously and right now we’re addressing public safety, which is our main concern. The investigation is ongoing. The document has been fingerprinted.”
There are currently no suspects, Sgt. Bell said.
Bell told us: “Garden River Police will be meeting Sault Police Tuesday evening... they may have received some information in their area.”
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