Article content continued

Photo by StarPhoenix file photo

Brenda MacDougall, a University of Ottawa professor and chair in Métis research who watched the commentary unfold from several hundred kilometres away, said the online discourse was “mind boggling.”

“This became sort of the sounding point for people’s really vitriolic anger and resentment of Indigenous people,” she said. “I think that this speaks to a broader issue about the value that we place on the life of Indigenous people and really the lack of value that we place on their lives at the expense of people’s fears about their property.”

Priscilla Settee, an Indigenous studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said discourse around Boushie’s death “horrified and concerned” some people in the Indigenous community.

“There is a large response there and nobody’s surprised because there are racial tensions in the province,” she said.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

Premier Brad Wall posted on Facebook urging people to “rise above intolerance.” The RCMP began investigating possible hate speech charges, though no charges were ever laid. On days when Stanley was due to appear in court, supporters of Boushie’s family showed up en masse and the North Battleford provincial court beefed up security to levels rarely seen.

James Daschuk, an author and University of Regina professor, says racial tension in the province has been “like a lava dome waiting to explode” since Boushie’s death.

He said he hopes people can keep their cool during Stanley’s trial, but he knows that may not be possible.