Ep10: Colten Pratt

Jasmine Castillo 0:00
Hola my beautiful humans. This is Jasmine Castillo and I bring stories and cases from the people of color community, bringing awareness of murdered and missing Indigenous women girls to spirits, the LGBTQ community, Asian American, Pacific Islander, black indigenous people of color. These are their stories. So welcome to Hands off my podcast

so even though, today's the last day of Pride Month, I don't think that I'm going to stop right there. Like I mentioned to my listeners, I will continue on bringing awareness to the LGBTQ to spirits in all my brothers, sisters and non binaries in the people of color community. So let's get into it. Here's a little bit of history in regards to to spirit. In the 1970s Queer Indigenous people began organizing around the indigenous identities and cultures. This is a way that they reclaimed their traditions. And this was the response to erasure and racism that was against the queer community in 87. The queer indigenous people were part of the second national March the march to Washington for the lesbian and gay rights. This was also around the time that AIDS pandemic was growing and the criminalization of sex between two consenting men in the USA, it became more aware that the queer people of color, they found themselves on the margins of this movement and how was devastating the indigenous community in the summer of 88. This was considered the first formal gathering and it was called the basket and the bow. This was a time that the Two Spirit of people across the Turtle Island came together from USA to Canada to the Minneapolis, Minnesota American Indian Center, and since then, all people across the Turtle Island come together every alternate year, the term Two Spirit did not become official until 1990. In North America, native gay and lesbian gathering was held in Manitoba was actually introduced by Fisher river Cree Nation, elder Myra Laramie, this doctor through a vision of hers, prior to the gathering, shared her vision, the ability to be neutral to the lens of having both a feminine spirit and masculine spirit within one's body. And what Dr. Laramie said, quote, It is sacred. And it is more than just words. It is spirit, heart language. When two spirit is used, it invokes our sacredness, and reminds us that we have always been here, and we will always be here. As a result, with to spirit comes a great responsibility to those who use it. As we walk in work in sacred way, with and in for our people, and quote, to spirit, which described a wide variety of nations specific genders and sexualities. So in part an effort to reclaim tradition, indigenous people sought to find a word or phrase that originated from the indigenous community and this was to replace the colonial term, which I will not say it was frequently used by anthropologists and non Indigenous persons throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. And of course, this term was considered and still is a derogatory, and it is quite offensive to the indigenous people, although this term varies between indigenous languages, but this describes the third and fourth genders as well as homosexual people. It can also be used as a wide range for nation specific genders and sexualities. The use of this term by people who are not indigenous is considered cultural appropriation.

Even though this story is about the celebration of two spirited people of the indigenous community, I would like to direct you to the queer events education This website provides individuals, companies and organizations with the insight, tools and understanding to create environments that are to spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer plus inclusive. They provide consulting, training and custom education services for organizations as well as individual. Another special conversation that I like to hold with my listeners is that not only am I talking about two spirited persons of the indigenous community, I would also honor mmm I m b, which stands for missing and murdered indigenous men and boys. Based on a website that holds statistics of Canada. This is a national Statistical Office of Canada and it's was updated in July of 2021. homicide rate for indigenous people are seven times higher than for non Indigenous people at the time of this story taking place. The information that was from the Statistics Canada documented that 745 indigenous female homicide victims and 17,150 indigenous male homicide victims, that's 14 and 17% of all male and female homicide victims in Canada. What brings it to more reality that in Canada between 1982 and 2011 15,000 Total murders took place. And out of those 2500 of them were murdered indigenous people. And let me ask you, if you know the percentage were considered men out of the 2500 I'll give you a moment give up 71% of that 2500 were men, almost two thirds of indigenous homicide victims were identified by police as First Nations 62% While 4% were identified as Matisse and 9%. As Inuit, the indigenous group was not identified for 24% of all indigenous homicide victims. So what can you do to honor and celebrate missing and murdered indigenous men and boys? Well, we can honor missing and murdered indigenous men and boys on Father's Day are also reflecting in honoring on November 19, which is actually the International Men's Day. And of course, knowing that the month of November is filled with remembrance of missing and murdered indigenous people and celebrating educating and supporting the Native American Heritage Month.

Colten was born in Calgary, Alberta. And his parents are Lydia in Pernell Pratt. This is Colten Pratt's story. Lydia's from the long plane First Nation and his late father Parnell was from Sioux Valley Dakota nation, Manitoba. He grew up in Winnipeg, Brandon, and long plane First Nation. A little history on Long Plain First Nation from the Long Plain First Nation website. They are proud Ojibwe, and Dakota community in the Central Plains region of Manitoba situated on a land based on 10,800 acres Long Plain is comprised of a main reserve and urban Economic Zones situated along the city limits of Portage la prairie and in the City of Winnipeg, resulting from treaty land entitlement under a 2011 settlement. Current members of long plane First Nation is over 4600 between three reserves equating to 64 square miles or like mentioned 10,800 acres. His family was filled with many aunties, uncles, cousins, from all sides of the family, as well as an extended family from the Sioux Valley. Brandon Swan link Turtle Mountain and Colten had three sisters and one brother. One of the things that I really enjoyed reading on is the beautiful family that he has the bond that he has between him and his sister Jocelyn. He was very fond and Condi considered to her and children with special needs. His family gave him the name sky man from the Bear Clan. Colten is Ojibway and Dakota and comes from a praying spiritual Anishnaabe a tradition and Christian family just reading about his personality just makes me glow from what His family says he was funny. He loves a good joke. He always wanted to have fun and is famous for his laugh. Colten loves music. And he loves to sing karaoke, which is one of the things that I enjoyed myself and actually won a few singing contests having a wonderful voice just like his dad, Colten was outgoing, cheerful, intelligent, friendly, just a wonderful person to be around. Colten was a person who loved film study and had volunteered at various events, he always surrounded himself with native music giants in the industry. I would definitely love to meet him someday. But at this point that I'm recording, he is currently missing. Colten is considered to spirit and he had let his family know for a few years and accepted and loved him unconditionally. And while growing up was happy and content child, but one that has always dealt with bullying, and cruelness. Because of his sexuality. There was times that he had to deal with constant negative experiences in high school at the portage la prairie by his peers because he was too spirited. And like I mentioned before, it is extremely hard to find any information on missing and murdered indigenous people, specifically two spirited persons. Eventually, I did find a timeline and unfortunately, it's very short, but please bear with me because it is imperative that we know as much information as possible to bring him home. So on November 6 2014, around 9:30pm Colten was at a hotel called the marble hotel downtown Winnipeg one night he was to believe from what I have read in articles that he was at the bar at the Marlborough Hotel in downtown Winnipeg on the night he disappeared in may have gone to another hotel with a woman and a photo. And the photo I mean is apparently Colten use his cell phone to send a picture of himself to his mother. On the night he disappeared. And in that photo was a woman still currently unknown. And this cell phone was later found downtown. No Colten . The family was trying to identify the woman that also appeared in this photo that might have clues to his whereabouts. Carlton's cousin has posted this photo on Facebook, sharing it nearly 1000 times and no one has come up or responded on who this woman is. While at the bar inside the hotel. He was seen talking to this unknown woman and at this point hasn't been questioned. I will place this picture in the show notes. After this encounter with the woman. He was alone and heading towards Ellis Avenue. Please previously released photos that were taken from a surveillance video at a liquor store near that location on Friday, November 7 2014. Around 1220 to 12:40am Colten was possibly sitting at a bus station on Main Street in the north end of Winnipeg around that time. A security camera footage from that bus station does show a man that looks similar to Colten , as two other individuals approached him and who have not been identified. This actual footage hasn't been released. And this bus station was about 37 minutes on foot from that hotel. This is the last footage of Colten and he just disappeared.

Knowing in my heart as a mother, you always seem to feel like there's something off especially when your children stay in contact with you. And I know that Lydia had felt a stir in her heart that something was amiss, and because of that she began to search and to reach out and to find anyone in whomever who was able to help her find her son Colten. She reached out to the Winnipeg Police Department and began to search immediately the following day, friends and family gathered downtown passing out flyers on November 8 2014, the following day of him missing and as time went by, one year, two years third anniversary, the Daniels at this point, we're not even sure if the investigators are investigating her son's disappearance as a missing person or homicide, just based on how much time had passed. At some point every day, Lydia cries out for her boy Colten. And as more time passes, the fear begins to sink in. They had spent the last eight years not knowing where her son has gone and what had happened to him. And while Lydia talks about her son's disappearance, it is so difficult because sometimes you continue to open up those old wounds. She is so hoping that one day someone will come forward with any information to finally give her closure to the answers that would give her some peace of mind. And as she continues her search, she would love to help people focus on her son's disappearance and hope that more people will start to focus on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous men and boys in Canada. So in January of 2016, Lydia created the project called the neck tie campaign. This raises awareness for the missing men and boys. While there's awareness campaigns for women who have vanished, which includes two red ribbons for missing and murdered indigenous women, there wasn't anything for missing men. So early in January, she and her friends attached men's neck ties to the bridges of long plane reserve and around the hydro poles in downtown Winnipeg. Her and her supporters placed nearly 100 ties. She even placed ties around the bus station, the last place Coltenwas seen. Lydia stated quote, we chose the tie, because we feel that it symbolizes the ties that bind us to our children to our missing man. And it connects us to each other. And quote, one of the other things that the Daniels family were able to do with the partnership of Canadian Center for Children protection and the partisan signs, they were able to display signs in Winnipeg. On April of this year, Colten Facebook page was updated with Jacqueline and Lydia, they provided an update that recently had a meeting face to face in regards to Coltrane's filing with the Winnipeg Police Service, believing that they were going to receive an update of suspects or any other additional information in regards to his disappearance. And unfortunately, the police service is in the process of suspending the case because they do not have any current evidence or proof and they have exhausted all in the investigation of Colten disappearance. They believe that if there is any information out there that somebody knows something on what happened to Colten, in a video, Jacqueline Colten aunt had mentioned that there are moments of suspended grief, suspended grief is not being able to put an end to grief. It's hard to function through the day. It's hard to live life and they have dealt with other losses in their family. This one especially is hitting them hard and to have the constant lingering of suspended grief because of the disappearance of Colten. Let this family have their peace. They are asking you to come forward with the truth and they pray for you to come forward. Only that person and the Creator knows what has happened to Colten. They want to give him a proper burial. A goodbye ceremony. Please let the family have that. Even if you have to reach out to me. Anonymous I know is weighing on your heart heavily. Whoever knows something, let the family have peace do not carry this burden. Please tell the family where they can find Colten so he can be buried in a tradition. Jocelyn is one of Coltensisters. Jocelyn loves music, loves taking pictures and enjoys making videos. She took it upon herself to create a video in dedicating to Colten for him to come home. She created this video for her brother telling him that she misses him so much. She loves him and she actually created a song On that she sang throughout the video. While there was moments of her crying, saying that her brother is gone and that she misses him very much and to have him come home. Jocelyn has Down Syndrome and she and Colten are about a year apart. And due to her challenge Colten and her basically grew up as twins. They were very close and shared a lot of fun mischief and laughter The Daniel's family had this to say, quote, we always have hope that he's going to walk in the door. But holding that hope is what makes this never go away for us, and quote.

So here are my theories on what might have happened? So here's my question. Are there any updates on a person of interest or possibly someone identifying who the unknown woman is in the picture? Unfortunately, no. 2015 There was an old news story that has continued to circulate as new information. It isn't this person that was identified a long time ago. And for now, there is nothing new to report, Colten status remains unsolved and remains a missing person based on the Winnipeg Police Missing Persons Unit. Another question is what happened to the person that reached out on the tip? Or has there been any other more people contacting law enforcement on Colten disappearance? From what I know, based on what Jacqueline and Lydia identified in the Facebook video, they did have someone reach out to them a while ago, however, it panned out that that person had misinformation on what had happened to Colten . There was actually even a comment on Facebook that there was a person out there that did know Coltrane's whereabouts, but she was afraid for herself. And what became of that, and I'm thinking to myself, is that the same person that reached out with the misinformation? more questions than answers? Another question is where the buses running that late at night, early morning in Winnipeg. So if Colten was at the bus, shelter or bus station at that time, buses run from 6am until past midnight, and unfortunately, a lot of weird stuff goes on down in those areas, especially around the bus shelters at night when people no buses won't be going by and there won't be people there waiting for the next bus. mean even though the Winnipeg identify that the regular services are generally run between 6am Until past midnight. These bus routes do not operate seven days a week. Another question is Have the police released images of the people they think were accompanying him Could they have also been staying in the marble hotel at the marble Hotel. If you look it up, it has quite a mixed review based on some sources and but from what I've read with other persons who are familiar with that area that some people do stay overnight as traveling guests discover to become long term residents and possibly live under some sort of government subsidy. So in conclusion, from what I've been able to find, the police have not released the descriptions of the two people that were seen with him at the bus shelter. I believe that information is going to be staying quite close to the chest with the Winnipeg Police Service. And if you want to have a far reach of an explanation or possibility with these people possibly be staying at the hotel based on some more information on comments on people who've gone to the hotel or live in the area. The Marlboro is a little bit sketchy area yet is pretty close to the bell MTS place which is where the hockey and concert arena is located. And there's a lot of shady stuff that goes down in that area. Here's a description of Colten Pratt at the time of his disappearance. He was 26 years old, born August 13 1988, went missing November 6 2014. I'm from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is 510 of First Nations descent Ojibwe, originally from long plane First Nation. He weighs approximately 160 pounds has short brown hair and brown eyes. last seen wearing a brown plaid jacket, gray t shirt, blue jeans, and a grey toke, which has a hat. Behind each ear. He has a star tattoo.

Almost eight years of English for Colten 's family, his mother, his aunt, his brother and sisters, all they want is closure all they want us to give Colten the proper goodbye ceremony to whoever you are to come forward no matter the smallest detail of information, called his family is very concerned for his safety. If you have any information regarding his disappearance, please contact missing kids.ca at 1-866-543-8477 or Winnipeg Police Service at 204-986-6222. I will have all this information in the show notes.

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai