Background
Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people has been a part of colonialism in Canada. The issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People (MMIWG2S+) highlights the deaths and disappearances of thousands of Indigenous individuals over the past forty years.
In 2015, after decades of activism by Indigenous women, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initiated a national inquiry into MMIWG2S+. The final report, released in 2019, concluded that Canada was guilty of genocide for failing to protect these individuals from violence. To date, the Canadian government has not officially responded to the findings or addressed the 231 Calls for Justice identified by the inquiry.
For more about the National Inquiry, please visit: mmiwg-ffada.ca
The REDress project
The REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jamie Black in 2011 at the University of Winnipeg, involves hanging red dresses in public spaces. These empty red dresses symbolize the loss of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people to colonial violence. For more information about Jamie Black and the origins of the REDress Project, visit jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions.
Since 2019, Brock University has hosted an installation of red dresses around campus and a public event to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people. This event, organized around February 14th, aligns with the annual Women’s Memorial March held in Vancouver since 1991. For more information about the Women’s Memorial March, visit womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com.
MMIWG Report
Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are not statistics; they are the hearts of their communities and Nations. They deserve far more support and resources in the wake of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit (MMIWG) epidemic and genocide.
The MMIWG Report, released on June 3rd, 2019, aims to hold those in power accountable. It also provides insights into Indigenous culture, values, language, and traditions, emphasizing the importance of preserving and honoring Indigenous spaces and values. The National Inquiry’s Final Report, “Reclaiming Power and Place,” exposes the vast human rights violations underlying the systemic violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in Canada. The Report calls for transformative justice, shares the stories of families and community members, and includes Calls for Justice directed at Canada’s government, legal system, social services, and other colonial institutions.
What can we do as students, staff, or faculty? As settlers or newcomers on this land? Read the report, available for free to read and download.
