In Canada, October 4th is a day when we honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit, support grieving families, and create opportunities for healing.
Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people have traditionally been revered as life-givers and caregivers. This is why we say, “Our Women and Girls are Sacred.” But Indigenous women and girls, including those who are 2SLGBTQQIA, continue to go missing and murdered at a disproportionate rate.
If you haven't yet, I urge you to read, "Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls". The National Inquiry’s Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The two volume report calls for transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country.
One of the things that makes the National Inquiry of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ unique is that it is not just investigating a past wrong, but one that is still ongoing and that is getting worse. It is a living and evergreen document which lays the way forward and is adaptable so that changing needs can be incorporated.
There are 46 Inuit-specific Calls for Justice in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+. The actions are organized into 14 themes and are further broken down into federal-, provincial/territorial-, and Inuit-led actions, depending on the areas of jurisdiction and authorities implicated by the action.
Preventing violence against Inuit women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people requires governments and Inuit to break intergenerational cycles of violence by addressing the systemic challenges known to increase the likelihood of violence. Despite being well documented, systemic challenges persist that have disproportionately negative impacts on the most vulnerable members of our society, and these challenges include the Inuit Nunangat housing crisis, limited access to emergency shelters and other safe spaces, and limited access to the tools, services and resources that we know are needed to support healing and healthy relationships.
Our people are entitled to the same standards of safety, health, education, justice and physical, emotional, economic, social and cultural security enjoyed by all Canadians.