ALS lawyers Caitlyn Kasper and Emily Hill represented the family of Ruthann Quequish at the inquest into her death held in Thunder Bay July 29 to August 16, 2024. Ruthann was a mother of three who lived in Kingfisher Lake First Nation when she passed away in April 2017 at the age of 31 from DKA, a preventable, treatable complication of diabetes. At the inquest, her mother Edna Quequish, brother Jordan Quequish, sister Samaria Quequish and partner Aaron Sainnawap all provided evidence about Ruthann’s friendly, outgoing nature and the important role she played in her family. They also gave heart-breaking testimony about their efforts to get her the health care she needed in the 10 days before she died.
Witnesses testified about the events leading up to Ruthann’s death, and how it affected her family, the community and her health care providers. Members of the Kingfisher Lake First Nation, the nurses and doctors in charge of Ruthann’s care, and expert witnesses testified about the provision of health care in remote Indigenous communities and the challenges Indigenous peoples have accessing health care in those communities. The inquest heard that health care in Kingfisher Lake and other remote Indigenous communities was and continues to be impacted by the legacy of colonialism, systemic racism, underfunding from the federal government, issues with cultural training for nurses and rotating staff, and technical and logistical issues that hamper administration of records and continuity of care. Witnesses also testified about the prevalence of patients with diabetes in many Indigenous communities, its causes, and unique challenges of managing and treating diabetes in these communities.
The jury made 42 recommendations, including several aimed at ensuring that there is a way for community members to advocate for their loved ones and not be ignored. At the conclusion of the inquest Jordan sang and drummed and encouraged ALS to keep speaking up on behalf of families seeking justice.
The recommendations can be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2024-coroners-inquests-verdicts-and-recommendations#section-7
G’chi Miigwech, baamiipii
Christa Big Canoe, Legal Advocacy Director (AGM Report, 2024)