Missing and murdered Indigenous women

Missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) in Canada is a social issue that has received a great deal of attention by the media and government. The exact number of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people that have gone missing or have been murdered in Canada over the past 30 to 40 years is in dispute, with some estimating 500 missing women,^[1] and other citing statistics of 1100.^[2] The Native Women's Association of Canada has gathered information on 582 cases, but believes the number of missing and murdered women is much higher.^[3] There are no established criteria for determining when a case is included or excluded from these statistics.^[4] Activists have argued that the proportion of Indigenous women that are murdered are disproportionate to the overall proportion in the general population.^[5]

Background

Although Indigenous women and girls make up only 3% of the female population in Canada, they represent 10% of all female homicides in Canada. Indigenous women in Canada face many risk factors, compared to non-Indigenous women such as poverty, prostitution and homelessness. In Victoria, British Columbia, the Indigenous population is estimated to be 2% but Indigenous women represent over 15% of prostitutes.^[6] Since there is no national database for missing people, it is difficult to make a comparison of the makeup of missing females in Canada.^[7] There have been a number of databases that have been created in order to track the cases of missing and murdered Indigenous Women. For example, the Native Women's Association of Canada has information on 582 cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Of these cases, 67% are murder victims, 20% are missing persons, 4% are suspicious deaths and 9% are unknown.CBC created a project to further investigate the stories of some of the missing and murdered indigenous women. This database was launched in response to the criticism of the investigation of many of these women, in which CBC found suspicious details about how investigations were conducted. The interactive database includes the stories of over 250 women.^[8] The March 2013 Native Women's Association of Canada report to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights noted that Indigenous women face instances of violence 3.5 times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts.^[9]

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 report found that there were 1,181 incidents of female homicides and unresolved missing Indigenous females.^[10] Of these 1,181 incidents, there were only 225 unsolved cases between 1980 and 2012, and the majority of all female homicides are solved. There is little difference in solve rates of homicides between Indigenous and non-Indigenous victims.

In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action recommended the federal government establish a public inquiry into the victimization of Indigenous women and girls, which was established later that same year.^[11]

Highway of Tears

The term Highway of Tears refers to the murder and disappearances of mainly Indigenous women along the 700 kilometre stretch of Highway 16 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, since 1969.^[12][13][14] Government organizations and Indigenous organizations have different estimates of the number victims along the highway, with police estimating 19 and other organizations placing the number closer to 40.^[15] Many people hitchhike along this stretch of highway, because of lack of public transit. The highway of tears 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.^[16] Numerous documentaries have focused on the victims associated with this highway and the Canadian media often point to the highway in coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirits in Canada.^[17]

Project E-PANA was launched in 2005, in response to the Highway of Tears crisis. It originally took responsibility of the investigation of 9 women, launching a task force in 2006. In 2007 it added an additional 9 cases, which include both cases of murdered and missing women along Highways 16, 97 and 5. The task force consists of over 50 investigators and cases include those from the years 1969 to 2006.^[18]

Activism

Indigenous activists have been organizing protests and vigils relating to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals for decades.^[19] The Native Women's Association of Canada was one of many organizations that created a database of missing and murdered Indigenous women.^[20] 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.^[21]

Women's Memorial March

The first Women's Memorial March was on February 14, 1991, in Downtown Eastside, Vancouver.^[22] The march was an action in response to the murder of a Coast Salish woman.^[22] The goal of the event was and continues to be to honour Indigenous women who have been murdered and have gone missing for the purpose of increasing national inquiry and response. During the Vancouver march, the committee and public stop at the locations where the women were last seen or murdered for a moment of silence as a sign of respect.^[23] The committee has drawn attention to the issue locally, nationally and internationally to bring awareness to the violence against Indigenous women.^[24] The committee is made up of family members, front-line workers, close friends, and loved ones who have experienced the losses of Indigenous women for several years.^[22]

This event takes place annually on Valentine's Day in more than 22 communities across North America. The march aims to break down barriers and raise awareness about racial stereotypes and stigmas that contribute to the ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.^[25]

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

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 9, 2015.^[26] The Canadian government had pre-inquiry meetings with a variety of people including families, front-line workers, the provinces and Indigenous organizations from December 2015 through February 2016, in order to determine how the inquiry will be structured. The mandate of the inquiry and the 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.^[27]

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.^[28] After the first public hearing in April 2017, complaints started to emerge about the inquiry’s terms of reference, its composition and administration, and a perceived lack of transparency. ^[29] Evidence was taken from 50 witnesses during the first hearings at Whitehorse, YT, three days in May 2017.^[30]

Between February and July 2017 a number of key staffers left the inquiry.^[31][32] Executive director Michèle Moreau announced in June that she would leave her position at the end of July 2017.^[33] In July 2017 Marilyn Poitras resigned her seat as commissioner. She stated 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."^[34][35] On August 8, 2017, Waneek Horn-Miller, the inquiry's director of community relations, stepped down.^[36]

Creative responses

Female inuksuit

Kristen Villebrun, a local activist in Hamilton, Ontario, and around ten other Indigenous women have been constructing inuksuit on the Chedoke Radial Trail.^[37] 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".^[38]

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 the missing 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 1181 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 have welcomed the questions, and they will continue to build the female inuksuit until they receive an official government-driven inquiry on the missing Indigenous women.^[39]

In February 2016, Lucy Annanack built and placed another 1200 inuksuit in Montreal with a team of women.^[40]

Walking with Our Sisters

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

Walking with Our Sisters is a continual 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. The hope is to raise awareness on this issue and create a space for dialogue-based community discussions on this issue.

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 being asked to design and create moccasin tops. By July 2013, 1,600 vamps were collected, more than tripling the initial goal of 600. Men, women, and children of all races responded to the call and became active in the project.

This floor installation travels to select galleries and art exhibition halls. Patrons are asked to take off their shoes and walk alongside the vamps, to ensure that they are not forgotten. People walk alongside them to show solidarity with these women. The installation is booked until 2019 and is scheduled for 25 locations across North America.^[41]

This initiative is solely volunteer-based.

The REDress Project

The REDress Project is a visual commemoration of the Aboriginal women who have gone missing or have been murdered.^[42] It is an ongoing installation of red dresses, hanging and floating in public spaces.^[43][42] Jaime Black, the Métis artist who began the project in 2000, 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.'"^[44][45] The REDress Project has been displayed at the University of Winnipeg campus, The University of Saskatchewan, The Manitoba Legislature, the University in Kamloops, the University of Alberta, the University of Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.^[45][46]

Who Killed Alberta Williams? Podcast

In 2016, journalist Connie Walker and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation launched a podcast titled Who Killed Alberta Williams?^[47]

Missing & Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams?

In 2016 journalist Connie Walker and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation launched a Webby Award nominated podcast^[48] titled Who Killed Alberta Williams?^[49] Launched on October 25, 2016, 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.^[50]

Faceless Dolls Project

Created by the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Faceless Dolls Project aims to bring attention to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women through the creation of dolls representing those impacted by violence.^[51] The dolls were designed as a visual representation of those missing and murdered and as an artistic reminder of lives and identifies of the impacted women and girls.^[52] The Native Women's Association of Canada has brought this art project to communities across Canada as a form of activism and to garner awareness for the issue of MMIW.^[53]

Other organizations

• Amnesty International
• It Starts With Us
• Sacred Turtle Women
• Native Women's Association of Canada
• Link to Missing Persons Alerts

See also

• BC Missing Women Investigation
• Indian rolling
• #AmINext

References

External links

• Missing and Murdered Women's Database for Canadian women and children compiled by CBC News