Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / First Nation Erin Brooks Disappearance

Transcript

First Nation Erin Brooks Disappearance · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hey there, ready for another deep dive today we're looking
• 0:03
  into the case of Aaron Brooks.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, this one is it's heavy.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, a well, stokey woman from Saint Mary's First Nation
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  in New Brunswick. It's, you know, another case of a
• 0:14
  missing Indigenous woman in Canada. And this article that we're
• 0:19
  looking at today, it does a good job of reminding
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  us that this isn't just a news.
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  Speaker 2: Story, right, It's a family who are searching for answers.
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  Speaker 1: Exactly, and it's really about, you know, bringing awareness to
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  the larger issue at play here.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. What really got me right away was how Aaron's mother,
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  Laurie Brooks. You know, she talks about her daughter in
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  the past tense. Oh wow, and it's been almost two
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  years since Aaron vanished. I mean that just that way
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  of speaking really tells you everything you need to know
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  about the you know, the agonizing uncertainty that they're living
• 0:47
  with every single day.
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  Speaker 1: It's December twenty seventh, twenty twenty one. Aaron's at the
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  Saint Mary's smoke Shop getting cigarettes and that's the last
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  place anyone saw her. The article describes her as five
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  foot two, around one hundred and fifteens with brown eyes
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  and black hair with bangs. She was wearing blue jeans,
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  a brown jacket, and black boots. It's like a snapshot
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  frozen in time. And police are treating her case as
• 1:11
  a homicide.
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  Speaker 2: Reading that detail about the smoke shop, you know, makes
• 1:14
  you think about the irony of it all.
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  Speaker 1: Oh alpsa.
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  Speaker 2: You have Aaron grabbing a pack of cigarettes, right, knowing
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  the risks, and yet that's the last trace we have
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  of her. Yeah, It's almost like life itself is a gamble,
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  isn't it.
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  Speaker 1: It really is. And you know, this brings up a
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  question that's central to this deep dive. Who was Aaron Brooks?
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  Beyond the facts of the case, you know, beyond the statistics,
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  who is she as a person?
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  Speaker 2: The article paints this picture of Aaron as a child,
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  full of energy, always happy, always finding things to do.
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  That vibrancy really shines through.
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  Speaker 1: But like a lot of people, you know, her teenage
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  years brought a shift. The article mentions that she started
• 1:51
  struggling with anger and later addiction entered the picture.
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  Speaker 2: And this is where I think the article does something
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  really important, And it includes a quote from Aaron's sister Amy,
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  and she says that addiction doesn't define a person. It
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  reminds us that Erin was so much more than her struggles.
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  Speaker 1: For sure, And it's so important to remember that she
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  was a mother of four. Yeah, I mean that detail
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  really hits home.
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  Speaker 2: It's a gut punch. It makes the family search all
• 2:15
  the more poignant. They're not just looking for a missing person,
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  they're searching for the mother of these children.
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  Speaker 1: Right. And the article talks about how the family has
• 2:22
  been tirelessly searching for Erin ever since she disappeared, holding vigils,
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  organizing searches in the woods around Frederick, and I mean
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  it's just relentless.
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  Speaker 2: And so difficult. They talk about looking for a needle
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  in a haystack. Just imagine that frustration. Yeah, you do
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  anything to find your loved one, but where do you
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  even begin.
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  Speaker 1: I can't even imagine. And you know, to add to that,
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  the article mentions that anonymous donors have put up a
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  sixty five thousand dollars reward for information.
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  Speaker 2: Wow, that's not a small amount, right. It really speaks
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  to how much Erin was loved, how much this community
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  wants her found.
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  Speaker 1: It really does. It shows how deeply this community cares
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  and how how determined they are to bring erin home.
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  But as we go further into the story, we start
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  to see how Aaron's case connects to a much larger
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  and more heartbreaking issue.
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  Speaker 2: Right Aaron's sister Amy Paul, is quoted in the article
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  saying that before Aaron's disappearance, she only understood the issue
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  of missing and murdered Indigenous women from a distance. Now
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  experiencing at firsthand, she feels it in a whole new way.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, for many Indigenous communities, this fear is
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  a lived reality, a shadow hanging over them, their daughters, sisters, mothers.
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  Could they be next?
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  Speaker 2: It's a chilling thought, and it brings us to the
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  heart of why this deep dive is so important. We
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  need to understand how Aaron's story fits into a larger pattern,
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  systemic issue that has plagued Canada for far too long.
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  Speaker 1: So let's unpack that. What are some of the historical
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  and societal factors that contribute to the vulnerability of Indigenous
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  women in Canada. I think our listener's familiar with the
• 3:55
  broader context of this crisis, so let's try to connect
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  those dots specifically to Aaron's case.
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  Speaker 2: Well, You can't talk about this issue without acknowledging the
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  long lasting impact of colonialism and the residential school system.
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  Generations of trauma, cultural disruption, and systemic discrimination have created
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  a web of vulnerabilities.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense, But how might those factors be
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  directly relevant to what happened to Aarin?
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  Speaker 2: Think about it this way. Aaron struggled with anger and addiction,
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  which the article suggests may have started in her teenage
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  years now. While those struggles are personal, they don't exist
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  in a vacuum. The trauma experienced by generations before her,
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  by her community could very well have played a role.
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  It's a cycle that's incredibly difficult to break.
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  Speaker 1: That's a powerful insight. It's like these historical wounds are
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  still open, still impacting lives today exactly.
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  Speaker 2: And when you combine that with the ongoing discrimination and
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  marginalization that many Indigenous communities face, it creates a sense
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  of vulnerability that's hard to ignore.
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  Speaker 1: That's like a perfect storm, isn't it?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is. And tragically, Aaron's story isn't unique.
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  There are countless Indigenous families across Canada going through the
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  same agonizing search, facing that same.
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  Speaker 1: Wall of silence, and it's that silence, that lack of
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  answers that just compounds the pain.
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  Speaker 2: Right absolutely, The article highlights the family's frustration with the
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  limited progress in the investigation. They're desperate for updates, for
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  any little piece of information that could lead them to Aerin.
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  Speaker 1: It's like they're stuck in limbo, caught between hope and despair.
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  Ah but there is a small glimmer of hope mentioned
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  in the article, right yeah.
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  Speaker 2: The police chief has confirmed that Aaron's case is being
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  treated as a homicide, and Laurie Brooks, Aarin's mother, she
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  talks about how the detectives always answer her calls. It's
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  a small detail, but it offers a sliver of reassurance
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  that they're not being completely ignored.
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  Speaker 1: I can imagine any sign of progress, however, small must
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  feel like a lifeline for the family. But still actions
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  speak louder than words.
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  Speaker 2: Right Exactly what the family needs are tangible results, not
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  just assurances. They need to know that everything possible is
• 5:58
  being done to find Erin.
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  Speaker 1: That brings us back to the heart of the article,
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  the plea for answers. Lorie Brooks is quoted as saying,
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  someone knows something. It's a direct appeal to anyone who
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  might have information, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
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  She urges them to come forward, whether it's through crimestoppers,
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  the police, or any other way they can.
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  Speaker 2: It's a raw, heartfelt plea. You can almost hear the
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  desperation in her voice. This isn't about seeking revenge. It's
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  about finding closure, about laying Aaron to rest and finally
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  knowing what happened to her.
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  Speaker 1: It's about basic human dignity. Isn't it to know what
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  happened to your loved one to be able to grieve properly?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely? And this is where we, as those who have
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  been entrusted with this story, come in. We can't let
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  Aaron's case and the countless others like it, fade into
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  the background.
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  Speaker 1: So what can we do. It's easy to feel overwhelmed
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  like our individual actions won't make a difference.
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  Speaker 2: You're right, it's a complex issue with deep roots, but
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  that doesn't mean we're powerless. We can start by keeping
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  this conversation going by raising awareness about the ongoing crisis
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  of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
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  Speaker 1: We can share this story, talk to our friends and families,
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  educate ourselves further on the systemic factors.
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  Speaker 2: At play, right, and we can demand accountability from those
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  in power. We need to hold our elected officials responsible
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  for addressing this crisis and ensuring the safety and justice
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  for Indigenous communities. Every action, no matter how small, can
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  contribute to change.
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  Speaker 1: It's like those ripples in a pond, right, Even the
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  smallest pebble can create a wave that spreads far and wide.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, and for Aaron's family, any piece of information, any lead,
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  could be the key to unlocking the truth they so
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  desperately seek.
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  Speaker 1: That's a powerful thought. It reminds us that we all
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  have a role to play in seeking justice and creating
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  a safer world for everyone. But before we wrap up
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  this deep dive, let's go back to the article one
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  last time. It ends by sharing Aaron's description and the
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  contact information for the Frederton Police and crime stoppers, hoping
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  that someone somewhere might hold the key to solving this mystery.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that's a good reminder for all of us.
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  We can't lose sight of the human element in all
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  of this. Behind the statistics and the headlines, there are
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  real people, real families whose lives have been shattered by
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  loss You're right.
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  Speaker 1: It's so easy to get caught up in the big picture,
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  the systemic issues, the political debates. But at the end
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  of the day, this is about a family who just
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  wants to know what happened to their loved one. It's
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  a story that stays with you, you know. I mean,
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  it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of this
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  whole issue, but doing this deep dive has really brought
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  it home for me. The human cost the family is
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  left behind, that constant ache of not knowing.
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  Speaker 2: It's a good reminder that behind every missing person's case
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  there's a life lived, relationships shattered, and in Aaron's case,
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  that story is woven into the larger narrative of injustice
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  that Indigenous women face in Canada.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it makes you wonder what would you do
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  if someone you love just vanished? How do you keep
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  searching when the trail runs cold? How do you find
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  the strength to keep going when every day brings fresh heartache.
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  Speaker 2: It's a testament to the strength of the human spirit,
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  I think, to the enduring power of love and hope.
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  Aaron's family hasn't given up, and neither should we.
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  Speaker 1: So where do we go from here? What can we
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  do to make sure that Aaron's story and the stories
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  of so many others aren't forgotten.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think the article in our deep dive leave
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  us with a sense of responsibility. We can't just consume
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  this information and move on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not enough to just feel bad about it.
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  We need to take action. But what does that look like.
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  Speaker 2: It could be a lot of things. Maybe it's donating
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  to organizations working on this issue, or learning more about
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  the historical and systemic factors at play. It could even
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  be as simple as having those difficult conversations about race
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  and injustice with friends and family.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes those conversations are the hardest, but they're so important
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  because silence only allows these injustices to continue.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly and remember, for Aaron's family, any bit of information,
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  no matter how small, could be the missing piece of
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  the puzzle. So if you know something, say something. Don't
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  let the fear of speaking up overshadow the potential to
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  bring a family closer to the truth.
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  Speaker 1: That's the takeaway I'm walking away with today. We all
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  have a part to play. We can't bring Aaron back,
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  but we can honor her memory by working towards a
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  future where indigenous women are safe and respected, where their
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  stories are heard and their lives valued. Let's keep this
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  conversation going, let's keep pushing for change, and let's never
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  forget the human cost of this tragedy. Thanks for joining
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  us for this deep dive, and until next time, stay
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  curious and stay informed.