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No Justice, No Peace

by Grizzly Waves

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100% of the donations from the digital download of this song will be sent directly to Martha Martin, Chantel and Mike's mother.

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I remember the morning of June 4th like it was yesterday. My friend Tahya walked through the door and said, "The RCMP shot my niece last night".

As many of you know, Chantel was murdered during a wellness check in Edmunston, the following months were filled with outrage and calls for justice for Chantel, accountability from the RCMP and meaningful changes of policy to address the blatant racism that's been on the hands of the mounted police since they stole First Nations children from their homes and brought them to residential schools. These calls for justice were met with silence.

While you might be familiar with Chantel's tragic story, you may not know about her brother Mike Martin.

Mike was a sweet and kind soul, soft spoken and gentle. He was also a victim of a system designed to keep First Nations members oppressed. In his few short years Mike had experienced homelessness and run-ins with law enforcement. He would often call Tahya from correctional facilities, and whenever possible I loved talking with him. We chatted about life, love, his sister, music and his plans for when he would get out. I wanted to make sure he knew that I didn't judge him for being incarcerated and that he had a friend in me that saw him as he was, a strong and kind human being. Mike liked sending letters, he said it was nice having a connection outside of the walls he was stuck in. Tahya had his address, and on multiple occasions he asked if I had sent one to him, I kept putting it off saying I was busy with work and life but that I'd send one soon. Then on November 14th we got word that Mike had taken his life while in police custody.

Mike's passing didn't get international attention, there were no protests in his honour, no calls for his justice. Mike and Chantel passed in different ways but just as they were two peas in a pod growing up, the events around their passing are two sides of the same coin. Chantel died because of direct and blatant racism and violence, and Mike died because of the systemic racism he faced throughout his life. Both of them would be alive today if they weren't Indigenous, and that's an incredibly hurtful truth.

I wrote this song for Mike because I never got to send him that letter. Today I hope that I can remind you that we are still calling for Justice for Chantel AND Mike. There is much work to be done and this fight is far from over.

100% of the donations from the digital download of this song will be sent directly to Martha Martin, Chantel and Mike's mother. She is still fighting for her two children whom she lost only months apart. No one should have to bury their children, and no one should have to lose sleep knowing that they were lost because of their cultural identity.

The fight is far from over, I hope we can show Martha that we haven't forgotten about her children. Not only will we say their names, we'll shout them.

Don't be fooled by the quiet, we won't stay silent.

lyrics

Just heard the news
Lost all there is to lose
Ate you up right after it spat you out
Tried to find a friend
Found some over conversations
I wish they let you come home to the coast
You would've gotten what you needed most

I wish I wrote you that letter
I wish the system did you better
I wish they didn't take your sister
I wish you didn't have to go with her

Spoke to you on the shores of Echachis
On Tahya's birthday
I tried to describe the sunset
But the words were unworthy
I wanted you to know
We cared when they showed you that they don't
I wanted you to know
I was looking forward to you coming home

I wish I wrote you that letter
I wish the system did you better
I wish they didn't take your sister
I wish you didn't have to go with her

No Justice No Peace
That's what we chanted in the streets
No they've fallen quietly
No Justice No Peace
That's what we chanted in the streets
Don't be fooled by the quiet we won't stay silent
Don't be fooled by the quiet we won't stay silent

I wish I wrote you that letter
I wish the system did you better
I wish they didn't take your sister
I wish you didn't have to go with her

credits

released November 14, 2021
Written, Performed and Produced by Luke MacDonald

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Grizzly Waves

Honest songs about existence.

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