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People in Sheshatshiu are in mourning following the death of Beatrice Penashue, who was allegedly killed by her partner this week.
“Me and my family are really devastated. We’re all over the place,” said her sister, Munik Aster.
“It kind of feels like a big chunk of ourselves is gone. And we’re angry.”
Aster was among more than 100 people who walked through Sheshatshiu Thursday evening to honour Penashue. They stopped in front of a shed where family says the incident took place.
Some people held a large banner that said “Ban alcohol and drugs. Enough is enough.”
John Joseph Nuna, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Penashue’s death.
Penashue was a ‘really good person’
Aster describes her sister as the “baby” of their family who didn’t anger easily.
“My sister was a really, really good person,” she said.
“She loved her kids.”
Munik says her sister lived in a foster home in Ontario at a young age, and had lost her language when she came home.
“She was never the same person ever again,” said Aster.
Family and friends of Beatrice Penashue gathered in Sheshatshiu Thursday to honour her memory. A man Penashue was in a relationship with is accused of second-degree murder in her death, which happened on the same day the province declared gender-based violence an epidemic. The CBC’s Regan Burden reports.
Community needs more resources, says chief
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation Chief Eugene Hart said the community is grieving.
“Everybody feels what’s going on here today,” he said.
Hart said his community needs more resources to deal with drug and alcohol issues.
There is a community meeting Friday afternoon, Hart said, which will include Labrador MHAs Lela Evans and Keith Russell.
“We need more help in our community,” said Hart.
Aster agrees her community needs more resources.
“Lots of people are hurting,” she said. “We need time to heal too, because it’s been death after death after death.”
Warrick Milley organized the walk for Penashue, saying he wanted to support the victim after seeing her being assaulted.
Milley says someone jumped out in front of his vehicle and told him there was a “girl dead” in the shed. He parked to check, saw a man beating a woman, and called police.
What he saw scared him.
“This is the most worst thing … I’ve ever seen in my life,” Milley said.
It “really, really drained me.”
Warrick says he hopes Penashue’s family gets the justice they want. Like others, he drew a connection between what happened and substance issues in the community he says need to be addressed.
“We just lost another young girl due to the drugs and alcohol that’s going around in our community,” he said.
Suspect in custody
Penashue was killed on the same day the provincial government declared gender-based violence an epidemic.
The accused, Nuna, appeared in Happy Valley-Goose Bay court on Thursday by phone.
He was charged with second-degree murder and assault.
Over 30 family and friends of the victim and the accused sat in on the proceedings, where Justice Jennifer Standen issued multiple no-contact orders.
Nuna was remanded into custody and told that if he wished to have a bail hearing, he’d have to do so in the Supreme Court. He has applied for legal aid.
The RCMP says residents of Sheshatshiu can expect to see an increased police presence due to the investigation, which is being handled by the RCMP Major Crimes Unit.
