Missing and murdered Indigenous women

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Missing and murdered Indigenous women epidemic (MMIW) is an issue currently affecting Indigenous people in Canada and the United States, including the First Nations, Inuit, Métis (FNIM) and Native American communities.[1][2][3][4] It has been described as a Canadian national crisis.[5][6][7]

Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by all forms of violence compared to non-Indigenous women,[8] with 84% of Native American women experiencing violence in their lifetimes.[9] They are also significantly over-represented among female Canadian homicide victims,[10] and are far more likely than other women to go missing.[11] Unlike other demographics where perpetrators are most likely to be from the victim's own community and ethnic group, Indigenous women are usually sexually assaulted, stalked and preyed-upon by non-Natives.[12][13][14][15] In Canada, most solved murders of Indigenous women were committed by the spouse or family members.[16][17] In Canada, according to activists "thousands of cases" of missing and murdered Indigenous women over the last half-century were not properly investigated due to alleged police bias.[18] The 49 women murdered by serial killer Robert Pickton, who was eventually jailed in 2007, are cited as an example; with families claiming that Pickton was able to go on killing for so long because police had not taken the disappearances seriously because most of the women were sex workers and Indigenous.[18][19]

The exact number of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or have been murdered in Canada since the 1970s is uncertain, with estimates ranging from approximately 1,000 to nearly 4,000.[20] In response to activists, the Canadian government funded data collection on missing and murdered women, ending in 2010; the Native Women's Association of Canada has documented 582 cases since the 1960s, with 39% occurring after 2000. But advocacy groups say that many more women have been missing, with the highest number of cases in British Columbia. Some notable cases have included 19 women killed in the Highway of Tears murders, and the 49 women from the Vancouver area murdered by Pickton.[18]

Responding to repeated calls of Indigenous groups, other activists, and non-governmental organizations, the Government of Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016.[21]

Background[edit]

As a group that has been "socially, economically, and politically marginalized",[22] Indigenous women have been frequent targets for hatred and violence.[23] Underlying factors such as poverty and homelessness contribute to their victimization, as do historical factors such as racism, sexism, and the legacy of colonialism. The trauma caused by abuses under Canada's residential school system also likely plays a role.[8][24] Indigenous women are between 3 and 3.5 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than other women,[25][26] and the violence they face is often more severe.[27]

Statistics for Canada[edit]

Canada does not maintain a database for missing people, which makes it difficult to determine the rate at which Indigenous women are murdered or go missing, or to compare their data to those of other populations. In addition, various groups have collected data from different periods of time and different criteria. Available data suggests, however, that the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women is disproportionately high compared to their percentage of the total population.[28]

Although Indigenous women and girls make up only 4% of the female population in Canada, they represented 16% of all female homicides in Canada between 1980 and 2012.[8] A 2011 Statistics Canada report estimated that Indigenous women are seven times more likely than other women to be victims of a homicide.[29][30] According to a 2007 study by the province of Saskatchewan – the only province to have systematically reviewed its missing persons files for cases involving Indigenous women – Indigenous women were found to have made up 6% of the province's population, and 60% of the province's missing women cases.[31]

The total number of missing and murdered Indigenous women is unclear. A 2014 report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ordered by the Stephen Harper administration, stated 1,181 Indigenous women were killed or went missing across the country between 1980 and 2012.[32] With government funding, the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) had documented 582 cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women from the 1960s to 2010,[33]:12 but they believe there are many more. Of the cases analyzed by the RCMP, 67% were murder victims, 20% were missing persons, 4% were suspicious deaths, and 9% were unknown.[32]

In 2016 Patricia Hajdu, the Canadian minister for the status of women, suggested that the total number of missing and murdered Indigenous women could be closer to 4,000. She was basing her statement on information supplied by NWAC and originally collected by the Walk 4 Justice initiative. She said that historically there had been underreporting by law enforcement of cases of murdered or missing Indigenous women.

"Gladys Radek, co-founder of Walk 4 Justice, said her group collected the names while speaking to people during a trek across Canada in 2008. They stopped collecting information in 2011." Further, "When CBC News contacted one of the activists who supplied NWAC with the information, she said "roughly 60 to 70 per cent" of the 4,000 or so people on her list were Indigenous."[34][35][36][34]

CBC in 2016 investigated accounts of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, creating an interactive database that now numbers more than 300 persons.[37] CBC investigated 34 cases in which families disagreed with authorities' determination that no foul play was involved; it found "suspicious circumstances, unexplained bruises and other factors that suggest further investigation is warranted".[38]

Details of 2014 RCMP investigation and update[edit]

In late 2013, the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) initiated a study of reported cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women across all police jurisdictions in Canada. The 2014 report found that there were 1,181 incidents of female homicides and unresolved missing Indigenous females.[39] Of these 1,181 incidents, there were 225 unsolved cases between 1980 and 2012; 80% of all female homicides (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) are solved. RCMP statistics were updated in 2015, showing murder rates and the percentage solved (80%) to be essentially unchanged. The RCMP study was mostly limited to crimes committed in areas policed by the RCMP.[40]

One controversial conclusion reached in the study was that in all areas of Canada, whether policed by the RCMP or by another agency, seventy percent of the killers of aboriginal women and girls turn out to be aboriginal themselves. Chiefs demanded proof of this figure and continued their calls for an independent inquiry.[41]

Highway of Tears[edit]

Main article: Highway of Tears murdered and missing

The term "Highway of Tears" refers to the 700-kilometer stretch of Highway 16 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, which since 1969 has been the site of the murder and disappearance of a number of mainly Indigenous women.[42][43][22] Government organizations and Indigenous organizations have different estimates of the number of victims along the highway, with police identifying 18 murders and disappearances, 13 of them teenagers, and other organizations placing the number as closer to 40.[33] A reason for this numerical discrepancy is that for a disappearance or murder to be included in the RCMP’s E-Pana project statistics, the RCMP requires for the crime to have happened within a mile of Highway 16, 97, or 5; their count rejects all cases that take place elsewhere along the route.[33]

Many people hitchhike along this stretch of highway because they do not own cars and there is a lack of public transit. The Highway of Tears murders has led to initiatives by the British Columbia government to dissuade women from hitchhiking, such as billboards along the highway warning women of the potential risks.[44] Numerous documentaries have focused on the victims associated with this highway. The Canadian media often refer to the highway in coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people in Canada.[citation needed]

The RCMP in British Columbia launched Project E-Pana in 2005, in response to the Highway of Tears crisis. It initiated an investigation of 9 murdered women, launching a task force in 2006. In 2007 it added an additional 9 cases, which include cases of both murdered and missing women along Highways 16, 97 and 5. The task force consists of more than 50 investigators, and cases include those from the years 1969 to 2006.[45]

Canadian National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls[edit]

Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, giving a speech on missing and murdered Indigenous women in front of Parliament in Ottawa in October 2016.

After the 2015 Canadian federal election, the Liberal Government upheld their campaign promise and announced the initiation of a national inquiry on December 8, 2015.[46] The Canadian government had pre-inquiry meetings with a variety of people including families, front-line workers, representatives of the provinces and Indigenous organizations from December 2015 through February 2016, in order to determine how to structure the inquiry. The mandate of the inquiry and the projected length of time of the inquiry were published August 3, 2016. The estimated cost is $53.8 million. In addition, the government announced $16.17 million over four years to create family information liaison units in each province and territory.[47]

The inquiry was established as independent from the Government of Canada, and five commissioners were appointed to oversee the independent inquiry process: Marion Buller (chief commissioner), Michèle Audette, Qajaq Robinson, Marilyn Poitras, and Brian Eyolfson.[48] An interim report was expected from the Inquiry in November 2017. The initial conclusion date for the inquiry was set as December 31, 2018; however, in May 2017 the Chief Commissioner of the inquiry said the inquiry might seek an extension from the federal government.[49]

After the first public hearing in April 2017, complaints by observers started to arise about the inquiry's terms of reference, its composition and administration, and a perceived lack of transparency.[50] Evidence was taken from 50 witnesses during the first hearings at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, over three days in May 2017.[51]

In July 2017 the Assembly of First Nations asked the Federal Government to reset the inquiry, revisit its mandate, and extend its timeline to allow more data gathering.[52] Throughout 2017 a number of key staffers left the inquiry.[53][54] Executive director Michèle Moreau announced in June that she would leave her position at the end of July 2017.[55] In July 2017 Marilyn Poitras resigned as a commissioner. She said in her resignation letter to the Prime Minister,

It is clear to me that I am unable to perform my duties as a commissioner with the process designed in its current structure ... I believe this opportunity to engage community on the place and treatment of Indigenous women is extremely important and necessary. It is time for Canada to face this relationship and repair it.[56][57]

On August 8, 2017, Waneek Horn-Miller, the inquiry's director of community relations, stepped down,[58] and on October 8, 2017, CBC News reported that the Inquiry's lead lawyer and research director had also resigned.[59]

In October 2018 the Inquiry announced the last of its public hearing dates, following which the commissioners will write a final report and submit recommendations to the Canadian government by April 30, 2019.[60]

Final report June 3, 2019[edit]

Throughout this report, and as witnesses shared, we convey truths about state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies, built on the presumption of superiority, and utilized to maintain power and control over the land and the people by oppression and, in many cases, by eliminating them.

— Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. June 3, 2019. Page 54

The final report, entitled "Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls", which consists of volumes 1a[61] and 1b,[62] was released on June 3, 2019. In Volume 1a, , Marion Buller, the inquiry's chief commissioner, said that the high level of violence directed at FNIM women and girls is "caused by state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies."[63]

In preparation for the final report and to fulfill their mandate, the Commission held numerous gatherings and 24 hearings across Canada, collected statements from 750 people, held institutional visits in eight correctional facilities, led four Guided Dialogues, and held eight validation meetings.[61]:4 In fifteen Community Hearings four hundred and sixty-eight family members and survivors of violence and, overall, there were 2,380 people who participated. There were "147 private, or in-camera, sessions" where more than "270 family members and survivors shared their stories." There were 819 people whose The creative artistic expressions of 819 people "became part of the National Inquiry’s Legacy Archive". The Inquiry also consulted "84 Expert Witnesses, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, front-line workers, and officials provided testimony in nine Institutional and Expert and Knowledge Keeper Hearings".[61]:49

Canadian genocide of Indigenous Peoples[edit]

The truths shared in these National Inquiry hearings tell the story – or, more accurately, thousands of stories – of acts of genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

— Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. June 3, 2019. page 50.

According to a May 31, 2019 CBC News article, the National Inquiry commissioners said in the report and publicly that the epidemic is "a Canadian genocide".[64]

A supplemental report of the "Canadian genocide of Indigenous Peoples according to the legal definition of "genocide,"" was announced in Reclaiming Power and Place by the National Inquiry because of its gravity.[61]

Statistics for the United States[edit]

Similar to Canada's situation, specific data on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in the United States has also been difficult to gather. Contributing to this difficulty is the fact that many times when Indigenous women and girls go missing, or when Indigenous murder victims are unidentified, forensic evidence has not been accurately collected or preserved by local law enforcement. Cases have been allowed to quickly go "cold", and crucial evidence has been "lost", or never forwarded on from local law enforcement to the appropriate agencies.[65]

Between 1992-1996, even though Indigenous women experienced similar or more rates of assault and crime, they were less likely to be reported.[66]

As these cases go unreported, it allowed violence and murder to be inaccurately represented in statistical data against Indigenous women, but it has also allowed aggressors to go unpunished.[67] Multiple groups have attempted to represent more accurate statistic or bring to light the lack of record keeping by law enforcement, such as the Bureau of Justice Statistics.[66]

From 2010 to 2018, in the US urban communities where most incidents occur, 71 communities were observed and data gathered. In those 71 cities 506 cases were reported. Of the 506 cases, 128 or 25% were reported missing, 280 or 56% were murdered, and 98 or 19% are still unknown.[65]

US initiatives[edit]

Activism and proposed legislation has drawn the issue of MMIW to the attention of some lawmakers.[1] In 2018 and 2019 many US states, including Washington, Minnesota, and Arizona have begun to take steps toward passing legislation to increase awareness of this issue and take steps toward building databases to reflect accurate statistics regarding missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.[68][69][70]

Currently, the federal laws surrounding violent crimes create difficulties in dealing with non-Native perpetrators on native lands.[71][1][72]

According to the Supreme Court ruling in Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe (1978), tribal courts do not hold any jurisdictional powers over non-American Indians and Alaska Natives, and therefore cannot prosecute or punish them for their crimes on reservations. Additionally, the Indian Civil Rights Act (1968) limits the maximum punishment for any crime to a $5000 fine and up to one year in prison.[72] All violent felonies committed on tribal lands are prosecuted by the federal government through the FBI, because of the federal government's relationship with the sovereign tribal nations. Local state and county authorities do not have jurisdiction on reservations. Bachman believes that this split in authority creates problems as law enforcement departments compete over jurisdictional powers based on the nature of the crime. This lowers the overall effectiveness of law enforcement, and provides enough immunity to non-citizens of the tribes (usually members of the dominant culture) for such crimes to have become commonplace.[72] As noted in the movie, the FBI does not keep data on missing indigenous women.

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls[edit]

The US declared May 5, 2018 as a national day of awareness in order to raise concern for the crisis, and refocus attention on issues affecting Indigenous women. It hopes to improve relations between the federal and tribal governments.[73]

Washington State House Bill 2951[edit]

Effective May 7, 2018, this bill orders an inquiry into how to increase rates of reporting for missing Native American women in the state of Washington.[74] The state highway patrol has a deadline of June 1, 2019 to report to the legislature its results of the study. This includes analysis and data on the number of missing women in the state, barriers to use state resources, as well as recommendations how to overcome them.[75]

House of Representatives Bill 1585[edit]

On March 7, 2019, Congress introduced this bill in the House of Representatives and this bill was to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and other specific reasons.[76]

Arizona State House Bill 2570[edit]

On March 11, 2019, the Arizona State Legislature, House of Representatives passed Arizona House Bill 2570 “ESTABLISHING A STUDY COMMITTEE ON MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS.” If approved in the Senate, the bill would seek to “establish a study committee to conduct a comprehensive study to determine how the State of Arizona can reduce and end violence against indigenous women and girls…”[77] The study committee would establish methods for tracking and collecting data, reviewing policies and procedures, reviewing prosecutorial trends, gather data on violence, identify barriers to providing more state resources, propose measures, as well as propose legislation to address the issues identified.

Savanna's Act[edit]

This bill was initially introduced in Congress in October 2017 by former Senator Heidi Heikamp, but later reintroduced in January 2019 by Senator Lisa Murkowski.[78] The purpose of Savanna's Act is to increase cooperation and coordination between “Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies” as this has been one of the major barriers to developing an accurate database. This bill would also implement training for Tribal agencies from the Attorney General as well as improve tribal access to databases (including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System). In addition, data collection will be increased so that statistics more accurately represent missing and murdered indigenous women. This bill was read twice in Congress and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs where it currently sits.[79]

Activism[edit]

Indigenous activists have been organizing protests and vigils relating to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals for decades.[80] The Native Women's Association of Canada was one of many organizations that created a database of missing and murdered Indigenous women.[81] The community-based activist groups Families of Sisters in Spirit and No More Silence have also been gathering the names of missing and murdered Indigenous women since 2005.[82] In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action also called for the federal government to establish a public inquiry into the issues of MMIW. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the inquiry in December 2015.[83]

Women's Memorial March[edit]

The first Women's Memorial March was on February 14, Valentine's Day, 1991, in Downtown Eastside, Vancouver, an area notable for having numerous missing or murdered Indigenous women.[84] The march was in response to the murder of a Coast Salish woman.[84] The annual marches were intended to commemorate Indigenous women who have been murdered or have gone missing in order to build support for a national inquiry and program of response.

In 2016 the government announced it would undertake such an inquiry. During the annual Vancouver march, the committee and public stop at the sites where the women were last seen, or known to have been murdered, holding a moment of silence as a sign of respect.[85] The committee has drawn attention to the issue locally, nationally, and internationally.[86] The committee is made up of family members, front-line workers, close friends, and loved ones who have suffered the losses of Indigenous women during recent decades.[84]

This event has expanded. As of 2017, it was held annually on Valentine's Day in more than 22 communities across North America. The march intends to break down barriers among populations and raise awareness about the racial stereotypes and stigmas that contribute to the high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.[87]

Sisters in Spirit Vigils[edit]

In 2002, the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), Amnesty International Canada, KAIROS, Elizabeth Fry Society, and the Anglican Church of Canada formed the National Coalition for our Stolen Sisters, an initiative designed to raise awareness about the MMIW crisis in Canada. In 2005 Indigenous women founded Sisters in Spirit, a research, education and policy program run by Indigenous women, with a focus on raising awareness about violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit persons.[88] Sisters in Spirit collected the details of almost 600 cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada, including some historical cases that were not accepted by police, and cases where police closed the book on a woman's death despite lingering questions from family members.[89] This was the first database of its kind in Canada in terms of its detail and scope, however the federal government stopped funding the program in 2010.[90] Critics of the cut say it was meant to silence the Native Women's Association of Canada, the group behind the database.[89] However, Sisters in Spirit vigils continue to be held across Canada every year on the 4th of October.[91]

Bridget Tolley founded the Sisters in Spirit vigils in 2005 to honour of the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and two-spirit persons.[92][93] This annual event is organized in partnership with the NWAC. In 2006, 11 vigils were held across the country and in 2014, there were 216 vigils.[94] The annual Fort St. John, British Columbia vigil has been taking place since 2008, honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in northeast British Columbia.[95] Sisters in Spirit continue to hold an annual, national vigil on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.[96]

Families of Sisters in Spirit[edit]

In 2011 Bridget Tolley cofounded Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS) in response to the funding cuts to Sisters in Spirit.[97][98] FSIS is a grassroots group led by Indigenous women dedicated to seeking justice for missing Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit persons through public awareness and advocacy.[99] FSIS differs from Sisters in Spirit insofar as FSIS is fully autonomous, all-volunteer, and accepts no government funding.[100] Tolley is Algonquin from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation.[101] Her activism began after her mother, Gladys Tolley, was struck and killed by a Sûreté du Québec police cruiser while walking across a two-lane highway on the Kitigan Zibi-Anishinabeg First Nation on October 5, 2001.[102] A police investigation into her death revealed no wrongdoing and deemed the case an accident.[103] However, Tolley claims police failed to inform her family that her mother's case was closed, and that Montreal police were brought in even though the local Kitigan Zibi police department had jurisdiction over the scene and should have been called to secure it.[104] Bridget Tolley has since campaigned for justice for her mother, demanding her case be reopened and subject to an independent investigation by the Province of Quebec.[104] She remains a committed activist for social justice regarding police violence, education, housing, and child welfare.[103]

Creative responses[edit]

REDress Project[edit]

The REDress Project is based in Canada and is a public art commemoration of the Aboriginal women known to be missing or murdered.[105] The installation consists of red dresses, which are placed to hang or flat in public spaces.[106][105] Canadian Jaime Black (Métis) began the project in 2000. She told CTV News that "a friend of hers, who is also an aboriginal, explained that red was the only colour spirits could see. 'So (red) is really a calling back of the spirits of these women and allowing them a chance to be among us and have their voices heard through their family members and community.'"[107][108] The REDress Project has been displayed at the campuses of the universities of Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Kamloops, Alberta, Toronto, the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University as well as the Manitoba Legislature, and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.[108][109]

Walking with Our Sisters[edit]

Walking with Our Sisters exhibition in the Shingwauk Auditorium at Algoma University in 2014

Walking with Our Sisters is a community-based art installation, commemorating murdered or missing women and children from Indigenous communities. The project is community-led, from the creation of the piece to the facilitation of the exhibit at different sites. The hope is to raise awareness on this issue and create a space for dialogue-based community discussions on this issue. It is a solely volunteer initiative.

The art project is a collection of vamps from moccasins. A vamp is the extra layer of leather for the top lip of the moccasin. The installation has more than 1763 pairs of adult vamps and 108 pairs for children. Each pair is authentic and custom made for each individual woman reported missing. The vamps represent the unfinished lives of the missing or murdered women.

The project began in 2012, with a call to action issued on Facebook. People were asked to design and create moccasin tops. By July 2013, the project leaders had received 1,600 vamps, more than tripling their initial goal of 600. Men, women, and children of all races responded to the call and became active in the project.

This installation consists of vamps placed on the floor of a public space. It travels to select galleries and art exhibition halls. Patrons are asked to take off their shoes and walk alongside the vamps in the gallery, to ensure that the people they represent are not forgotten and to show solidarity with the missing or murdered women. Booked until 2019, the installation is scheduled for 25 locations across North America.[110]

Faceless Dolls Project[edit]

Begun by the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) in 2012, the Faceless Dolls Project consists of making dolls to represent missing and murdered women, and those affected by violence.[111] The dolls are designed as "a process of reconstructing identity" for women who lose individuality in becoming victims of crime. The first dolls were made to commemorate the 582 MMIW documented by the Association. They are intended as an artistic reminder of the lives and identities of the affected women and girls.[112] NWAC has brought this art project to universities and communities across Canada, where participants join in making dolls as a form of activism and raising awareness of the issue of MMIW.[111][113]

Female inuksuit[edit]

Since late 2015 Kristen Villebrun, a local activist in Hamilton, Ontario, and about ten other Indigenous women have been constructing inuksuit on the Chedoke Radial Trail.[114] This trail connects to the Chedoke Creek, a watercourse in Hamilton. An inuksuk is a man-made stone structure commonly used for navigation or trail markers. Inuksuk translates to "in the likeness of a human".[115]

The women began the project in October 2015 when they noticed that shadows cast by previously constructed inuksuit on the trail were lifelike and reminiscent of women. These activists saw an opportunity to use these structures as a way of drawing attention to the issue of the missing women. They have constructed 1,181 inuksuit, working for six hours a day, four days a week. The project has attracted many questions, with hundreds of people stopping to inquire about the inuksuit. The women welcomed the questions, and they announced their intention to continue to build the female inuksuit until the government undertook an official inquiry into missing Indigenous women.[116] In December 2015 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would initiate such an inquiry.

In February 2016, Lucy Annanack (Nunavik) and a team of women built and placed another 1,200 inuksuit in Montreal, Quebec.[117]

Missing & Murdered[edit]

In October 2016 journalist Connie Walker and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation launched a podcast[118] titled Who Killed Alberta Williams?[119] The eight-part podcast examines the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis in Canada though the lens of a specific case, the murder of Alberta Williams in 1989 along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia. The series was nominated for a Webby Award.[120]

In 2018, another season of the series profiled the case of Cleo Nicotine Semaganis.

Big Green Sky[edit]

Big Green Sky is a social justice play commissioned and produced by Windsor Feminist Theatre, which debuted in May 2016 in Windsor Ontario. It was prompted by the outrage over the acquittal of Bradley Barton in the trial of Cindy Gladue's murder. This play is a direct result of reaching out to Muriel Stanley Venne,[121] Chair of the Aboriginal Commission on Human Rights and Justice, and President of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. Venne's report[122] was submitted to United Nations rapporteur James Anaya. Venne created her report because she wanted to 'influence decision makers who have become very complacent and unconcerned about the lives of Indigenous women in our country."[122]

The playwright has created his heroine to be a Nigerian woman who moves to Northern Canada to see the Northern Lights and immerses herself in aboriginal culture. In this sense, members of the audience who are non-aboriginal are invited to take part in the journey of this "outsider" as she learns and uncovers the mysteries of murdered and missing aboriginal women. The title Big Green Sky comes from the display of the aurora borealis or Northern Lights. Aboriginal interpretations include that the Northern Lights represent the spirits of the departed who are communicating with their loved ones. The play will be gifted by WFT to any organization or individual wishing to bring awareness to this issue, and distributed without royalty fees, providing that all revenues/fundraising efforts be donated to local First Nations, Inuit or Métis women's initiatives.

Quiet Killing[edit]

Documentary filmmaker Kim O'Bomsawin released the documentary film Quiet Killing (Ce silence qui tue) in 2018.[123] The film won the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social or Political Documentary Program at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards.[124]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women: Resources & Information". Heidi Heitkamp - United States Senator for North Dakota. Retrieved October 31, 2017. In 2016, North Dakota alone had 125 cases of missing Native women reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), compared to 5,712 total Native women cases reported in the United States. However, the actual number is likely much higher, as cases of missing Native women are often under-reported and the data has never been officially collected.
  2. ^ "REDress exhibit highlights epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women" in The Guardian, Thu 7 Mar 2019.
  3. ^ "Rep. Haaland addresses Congress on epidemic of missing, endangered indigenous women by KRQE Media, Mar 14, 2019
  4. ^ "When the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Hits Home By Ruth Hopkins for Teen Vogue, September 11, 2018. "With issues concerning jurisdictional power and poor communication between families and local, state, tribal, and federal authorities contribute to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women."
  5. ^ Krishnan, Manisha (August 3, 2016). "Here's What the Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry is Missing". Vice News. Retrieved October 25, 2017. After years of debate and inaction, the Canadian government has finally launched an inquiry into the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
  6. ^ Walker, Connie (April 10, 2016). "Missing, murdered aboriginal women crisis demands a look at root causes". CBC News. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  7. ^ Bailey, Jane; Shayan, Sara (2016). "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis: Technological Dimensions". Canadian Journal of Women and the Law. 28 (2): 321–341. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Canada, Government of Canada; Indigenous and Northern Affairs. "Background on the inquiry". www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  9. ^ Amundson, Barry. "Savanna's Act apparently won't get passed".
  10. ^ "Disproportionate number of women killed in Canada aboriginal: RCMP".
  11. ^ "Missing, murdered Indigenous women inquiry to ask for more time". September 4, 2017.
  12. ^ "When the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Hits Home By Ruth Hopkins for Teen Vogue, September 11, 2018. "While statistics surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women are not often available, it is known that Native women are more likely to be sexually assaulted by non-Natives than other Natives."
  13. ^ Brown, Roz (March 8, 2019). "Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women Focus of SD Legislation". Public News Service. Retrieved June 2, 2019. Two-thirds of assaults or rapes against Native American women are committed by white and other non-Native American people, but prosecution is difficult because non-Native men can't be arrested or prosecuted by tribal authorities if the assault occurs on a reservation.
  14. ^ Khmara, Danyelle (May 26, 2019). "Arizona joins the ranks looking to end violence against indigenous women". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved June 2, 2019. A Department of Justice report says 96 percent of Native women who experienced sexual violence in their lifetime had a non-Native perpetrator.
  15. ^ "[1] Jorge Barrera, Jun 02, 2019. "The report also criticized Valcourt for claiming while he was minister that 70 per cent of homicides of Indigenous women were caused by Indigenous men. The report said the RCMP data used by Valcourt to make the claim was flawed and inaccurate."
  16. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-says-7-of-10-female-aboriginal-homicides-committed-by-aboriginal-offenders-1.3028150
  17. ^ https://nationalpost.com/news/john-ivison-at-mmiw-reports-heart-a-contradiction-thats-impossible-to-ignore
  18. ^ a b c Dalton, Jane (June 1, 2019). "Murdered and missing women and girls in Canada tragedy is genocide rooted in colonialism, official inquiry finds". The Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2019. State ‘actions and inactions and ideology’ blamed for allowing attackers to get away with violence over nearly 50 years
  19. ^ Ian Austen; Dan Bilefsky (June 3, 2019). "Canadian Inquiry Calls Killings of Indigenous Women Genocide". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  20. ^ "Minister's comment highlights confusion over missing, murdered women numbers". CBC.
  21. ^ "About Us — National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls". National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  22. ^ a b Harper, Anita (Winter 2006). "Is Canada Peaceful and Safe for Aboriginal Women?". Canadian Woman Studies. 25: 33–38
  23. ^ Harper, Anita (Winter 2006).
  24. ^ "The Vanishing of Canada's First Nations Women".
  25. ^ "Background". National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  26. ^ "Violent victimization of Aboriginal women in the Canadian provinces, 2009". www.statcan.gc.ca.
  27. ^ "Violent victimization of Aboriginal women in the Canadian provinces, 2009". www.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  28. ^ "Fact Sheet: Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls" (PDF). Native Women's Association of Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  29. ^ Vivian O’Donnell and Susan Wallace, Women in Canada: A Gender based Statistical Report: First Nations, Inuit and Métis Women (Statistics Canada, 2011)
  30. ^ "VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CANADA" (PDF). www.amnesty.ca. 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  31. ^ "Saskatchewan Provincial Partnership Committee on Missing Persons, Final Report, October 2007" (PDF).
  32. ^ a b "RCMP Report 2014". Archived from the original on May 10, 2016.
  33. ^ a b c Rhoad, Meghan (2013). Those who take us away: abusive policing and failures in protection of indigenous women and girls in Northern Birtish Columbia, Canada (PDF). Human Rights Watch (HRW). New York: Human Rights Watch (HRW). ISBN 978-1-56432-985-1.
  34. ^ a b Tasker, John Paul (February 16, 2016). "Confusion reigns over number of missing, murdered indigenous women - RCMP said 1,017 indigenous women were killed between 1980 and 2012;, activists say it's closer to 4,000". CBC News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  35. ^ "VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CANADA: A SUMMARY OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S CONCERNS AND CALL TO ACTION - February 2014" (PDF).
  36. ^ Guardian Staff (February 16, 2016). "A Canadian government minister has suggested that as many as 4,000 indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered over the past three decades". The Guardian. Retrieved October 23, 2017. Walk 4 Justice initiative had collected at least 4,232 names of missing or murdered indigenous women
  37. ^ "Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  38. ^ Holly Moore, Martha Troian, "'No foul play' found in deaths of dozens of Indigenous women, but questions remain", CBC News, 28 Jun 2016
  39. ^ "Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview". Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview. RCMP. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  40. ^ Police, Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted. "Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: 2015 Update to the National Operational Overview - Royal Canadian Mounted Police". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
  41. ^ Galloway, Gloria (April 9, 2015). "70 per cent of murdered aboriginal women killed by indigenous men: RCMP". Globe and Mail.
  42. ^ Lee, Miyoung (November 17, 2009). "BC's infamous 'Highway of Tears'". CBC Digital Archives. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  43. ^ "Highway of Vanishing Women", Daily Beast, July 10, 2011
  44. ^ Morton, Katherine (2016). "Hitchhiking and missing and murdered indigenous women: a critical discourse analysis of billboards on the Highway of Tears". Canadian Journal of Sociology. 41: 299–325. doi:10.29173/cjs28261.
  45. ^ "Project E-PANA: Missing Women (photos)". Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  46. ^ "Government of Canada: National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls". Government of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  47. ^ Canada, Government of Canada; Indigenous and Northern Affairs. "National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls". Indigenous Services Canada.
  48. ^ "About the commissioners". Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. October 11, 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  49. ^ Tasker, John Paul (May 19, 2017). "MMIWG chief commissioner still has 'hope' despite rocky start". CBC News. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  50. ^ "Canada's MMIW inquiry is falling apart before it even begins". Macleans. macleans.ca. May 8, 2017.
  51. ^ "Missing and murdered inquiry wraps emotional 1st hearings in Whitehorse".
  52. ^ MacDonald, Nancy (September 13, 2017). "Inside the meltdown of Canada's inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women". Macleans.ca. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  53. ^ Sterritt, Angela (June 15, 2017). "4th staffer leaves MMIWG inquiry commission amid calls for reform". CBC News. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  54. ^ Porter, Jody (June 14, 2017). "Tanya Kappo resigns from MMIWG national inquiry staff". CBC News. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  55. ^ Talaga, Tanya (June 30, 2017). "Executive director of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls inquiry resigns". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  56. ^ "Marilyn Poitras resigns as MMIWG commissioner". CBC News. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  57. ^ Galloway, Gloria (July 11, 2017). "MMIW commissioner Marilyn Poitras resigns in another blow to inquiry". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  58. ^ "MMIWG loses another key staffer as families slam 'colonial' inquiry process, demand hard reset". CBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  59. ^ Grabish, Austin (October 8, 2017). "MMIWG inquiry losing 2 more staffers". CBC News. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  60. ^ "National MMIWG Inquiry sets dates for final submissions - APTN News". APTN News. October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  61. ^ a b c d Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (PDF) (Report). 1a. p. 728. ISBN 978-0-660-29274-8. CP32-163/2-1-2019E-PDF
  62. ^ Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (PDF) (Report). 1b. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-660-30489-2. CP32-163/2-2-2019E
  63. ^ Martens, Kathleen (June 3, 2019). Inquiry says Canadians must 'unlearn some learned behaviors' in final report. APTN News (Report). Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  64. ^ Barrera (May 31, 2019). "National inquiry calls murders and disappearances of Indigenous women a 'Canadian genocide'". CBC News. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  65. ^ a b "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls" (PDF). Urban Indian Health Institute. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  66. ^ a b "American Indians and Crime" (PDF). Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  67. ^ "Off Campus Access". login.mctproxy.mnpals.net.
  68. ^ "HF 70". January 17, 2019.
  69. ^ "HOUSE BILL 2570".
  70. ^ "Washington State House Bill 2951" (PDF).
  71. ^ "Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men". National Institute of Justice. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  72. ^ a b c Ronet Bachman, Heather Zaykowski, Rachel Kallmyer, Margarita Poteyeva, Christina Lanier. "Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and the Criminal Justice Response: What is Known" (PDF). US Department of Justice.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
  73. ^ "Recognizing the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls". May 4, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  74. ^ "Washington State Legislature". apps2.leg.wa.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  75. ^ "Substitute House Bill 2951" (PDF). February 12, 2018.
  76. ^ "H.R.1585 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019". Congress.gov. March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  77. ^ "Arizona House Bill 2570". April 4, 2019.
  78. ^ "Murkowski, Cortez Masto Reintroduce Savanna's Act".
  79. ^ Murkowski, Lisa (January 25, 2019). "Text - S.227 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Savanna's Act". www.congress.gov.
  80. ^ "'We're back again. We want justice': Activists hold vigil on Parliament Hill for missing and murdered women". CBC. October 4, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  81. ^ "Background". It Starts With Us - Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  82. ^ "Honouring The Lives Of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women". Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  83. ^ Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (PDF). Winnipeg, Manitoba: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 2015. p. 4.
  84. ^ a b c "26th Annual Feb 14th Women's Memorial March". Feb 14th Annual Women's Memorial March. Ajik. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  85. ^ "Women's memorial march in Vancouver attracts hundreds". CBC News British Columbia. CBC News. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  86. ^ "Annual Women's Memorial March". CBC Player. CBC News. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  87. ^ Siebert, Amanda (February 9, 2017). "Why the way we remember missing and murdered women of the Downtown Eastside matters". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  88. ^ "Sisters In Spirit - NWAC". NWAC. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  89. ^ a b "Sisters in Spirit program used by feds to 'squeeze' Native Women's Association of Canada | rabble.ca". rabble.ca. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  90. ^ "Need for 'action' behind funding cut to Sisters in Spirit: cabinet ministers' letter - APTN News". APTN News. December 1, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  91. ^ "Indigenous women and girls face 'internal terrorism,' says Sudbury vigil organizer". CBC News. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  92. ^ "Marches, vigils held to remember missing and murdered indigenous women". CBC News. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  93. ^ "Families share memories of missing and murdered Aboriginal women | Metro Ottawa". metronews.ca. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  94. ^ "October 4th Vigils". NWAC. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  95. ^ Blaze Baum, Kathryn (November 3, 2016). "Northern resource development tied to violence against indigenous women: report". The Globe and Mail.
  96. ^ Newton, Chris (October 6, 2017). "Fort St. John resident says she wanted to make Trudeau aware of government failings at vigil on Parliament Hill". Energetic City.
  97. ^ O'Toole, Megan. "Seeking justice for Canada's murdered women". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  98. ^ "Why thousands of indigenous women have gone missing in Canada". Vox. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  99. ^ "Families of Sisters in Spirit: Justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada | rabble.ca". rabble.ca. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  100. ^ "About – It Starts With Us". itstartswithus-mmiw.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  101. ^ "Bridget Tolley's search for justice for her mother | rabble.ca". rabble.ca. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  102. ^ "Tears from up above | The McGill Daily". www.mcgilldaily.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  103. ^ a b Talaga, Tanya (October 3, 2017). "Vigils being held across Canada Wednesday for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  104. ^ a b "Unresolved: Gladys Tolley". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  105. ^ a b "About ‹ The REDress Project". www.redressproject.org. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  106. ^ "The REDress Project". www.redressproject.org. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  107. ^ "Red dresses seek to draw attention to missing, murdered aboriginal women". CTVNews. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  108. ^ a b "About the REDress project". Indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  109. ^ Beeston, Laura (March 21, 2017). "Red dresses a visual reminder of missing, murdered Indigenous women". thestar.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  110. ^ "Walking With Our Sisters". Walking With Our Sisters. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  111. ^ a b Morrisseau, Miles (April 16, 2012). ""Faceless Dolls Project" gives voice to missing and murdered Aborginal women". CBC Manitoba. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  112. ^ Gale, Frank (February 3, 2016). "Murdered women recognized in Faceless Doll presentation". The Western Star. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  113. ^ Ruby, Michelle (August 20, 2014). "FACELESS DOLL PROJECT: Remembering victims". Brantford Expositor. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  114. ^ Windigo, Delaney (November 12, 2015). "Inuksuks along Hamilton hiking trail created to remember missing, murdered Indigenous women". Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  115. ^ "What is an Inukshuk?". Inukshuk Gallery. Gallery Indigena. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  116. ^ Carter, Adam (November 5, 2015). "Aboriginal women remembered with 1,181 inukshuks". Remember Our Sisters Everywhere. CBC. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  117. ^ Murphy, David. "Nunavik woman spearheads Inuksuit campaign for Aboriginal women". Nunatsiaq Online. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  118. ^ "Webby Awards: CBC's Missing & Murdered podcast, NFB's Seances vie for online prize". CBC News. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  119. ^ "Meet the Reporter Behind a New, Must-Listen Canadian Crime Podcast - Flare". Flare. October 20, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  120. ^ Halushak, Maureen (October 20, 2016). "Meet the Reporter Behind a New, Must-Listen Canadian Crime Podcast". Flare. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  121. ^ "Muriel Stanley Venne". indspire.ca. Indspire. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  122. ^ a b Stanley Venne, Muriel (October 2016). "Presentation to the United Nations For All the Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women of Canada" (PDF). Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. p. 11. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  123. ^ "Kim O’Bomsawin tend la main avec le documentaire Ce silence qui tue". Ici Radio-Canada Manitoba, March 9, 2018.
  124. ^ "Gord Downie's Secret Path, Amazing Race and CBC News among Canadian Screen Awards winners". CBC News, March 26, 2019.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Missing_and_murdered_Indigenous_women&oldid=900432785"