(Please note there are sections of the blog that discuss the death and abuse of Indigenous Womenand Girls. This may be upsetting and emotionally triggering. Please care for yourself and seek help from a trusted friend or professional if needed.)

The summer weather has finally arrived in Toronto with a heatwave! It seems the weather moves between extremes these days and reminds me of our need to continue to focus on our healthy stewardship of the land, air, water, plants, and animals. 

On Saturday, we celebrated Canada Day. It was Canada's 157th birthday, but it gave me reason to pause and consider what we were celebrating. As we know, western European settlers stole land from First Nations, Metis, and INuits peoples, forcibly removed them from their lands, and forced them to live on reserves. Indigenous children were stolen from their homes, families, and nations and forced into residential schools where they were subjected to abuse and intergenerational trauma. This is our history in Canada and as Canadians.

The theft of land from and the attempted genocide of Indigenous peoples is not just relegated to our history. The ramifications of colonization continue today. The number of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons across Canada is an example of the residue of colonization. The Assembly of First Nations reported that Indigenous women and girls were four times more likely to be abused than women and girls who were not Indigenous, and between 2001 and 2014, Indigenous women and girls had a homicide rate four times that of non-Indigenous women. Indigenous women and girls were more likely to be abused and be killed than other cisgender women and girls. This is not okay.

Amnesty International investigated these deaths and mounted a campaign entitled No More Stolen Sisters. Amnesty International stated that Indigenous women, girls, and  2SLGBTQ+ folks  have a right to live free of violence in Canada, yet their human rights are being violated. Their investigation found that racism and sexism allow abusers to believe they can harm Indigenous women, girls, and  2SLGBTQ+ folks and that they will not face criminal charges, that the persistent and systemic inequalities caused by colonization increase the risk of violence for Indigenous women, girls, and  2SLGBTQ+ persons, plus racist and sexist laws and law enforcement do not investigate cases or hold perpetrators accountable. Amnesty International called for a national action plan to end this violence.

The Assembly of First Nations created an action plan by and for Indigenous peoples. The plan focuses on supports for survivors of this violence and their families, prevention, and healing for survivors, their families, and nations. The Assembly of First Nations held a national gathering in February to update survivors and their families on progress made on the calls to action to-date. The process used at the national meeting centered survivors and their families first, was trauma-informed, and used traditional cultural and spiritual practices to foster healing and good health. The Connecting Hearts and Making Change captures the discussions from the meeting and the calls for actions survivors and their families put forward.

Canada Day is a time for Canadians to stop and reflect on our past and commit to charting a new way forward that allows us to tell and hear the truth, and respond to this truth with actions to restore right relationships with Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.

Thanks for reading my blog today. Please email me and share your thoughts on Truth and Reconciliation and violence against indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ folks.

Michelle

michelle@mvdconsulting.ca