So here is an initiative happening on Six Nations reserve. It is called “Jewel’s Law.” What is happening with this initiative which was sparked tragically by the suicide of a young girl on the First Nation. Her mother, Janie Jamieson, made a plea to the council that something had to be done after she tried tirelessly to get the cyber-bullying her daughter was experiencing to stop. Her was daughter, Jewel “Gahwedio” Montour, was 12 years old when she decided to take her own life.

Her mother experienced no help from neither her daughter’s school principal and teachers in her attempts to try to stop the cyber-bullying nor any help from the Six Nations reserve police. Not because they didn’t care, but because there were/are no laws governing cyber-bullying by way of social media and text messages.

However in an unfortunate and fortunate circumstance, the council is going to take on the initiative to begin research and drafting on a by-law that will prohibit cyber-bullying within its territory. The council will also begin to pressure the government to pass bill C-355, an act to amend the criminal code (cyber-bullying).

I say this is a great initiative on one our First Nations here within Canada and I hope that great things can come from it. Perhaps maybe the rest of Canada can follow suit.

My only question for this is why have “mainstream” media not reported this suicide, like any other suicide of a young person in Canada, and why not talk about this First Nations’ initiative? Hmmm…