Speaking out against the violence of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

December 6, 2022

By Cassidy Shuvera, CSFS Calls to Justice Coordinator

Today on National Day for Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, we are called to reflect on the violence that has occurred and all those we have lost to gender-based violence. This day is also another reminder of the work that needs to be done to address gender-based violence in our society. We call on all Canadians to look at the 231 Calls for Justice set out from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Here is a starting point. 

We call on all Canadians to: 

15.1 Denounce and speak out against violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. 

15.2 Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities. 

15.3 Develop knowledge and read the Final Report. Listen to the truths shared, and acknowledge the burden of these human and Indigenous rights violations, and how they impact Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people today. 

15.4 Become a strong ally. Being a strong ally involves more than just tolerance; it means actively working to break down barriers and to support others in every relationship and encounter in which you participate. 

15.5 Confront and speak out against racism, sexism, ignorance, homophobia, and transphobia, and teach or encourage others to do the same, wherever it occurs -- in your home, in your workplace, or in social settings. 

15.6 Protect, support, and promote the safety of women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people by acknowledging the right of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people to generate their own, self-determined solutions. 

15.7 Create time and space for relationships based on respect, support and embracing differences with kindness, love, and respect. Learn about Indigenous principles of relationship specific to those Nations or communities in your local area and work, and put them into practice in all of your relationships with Indigenous Peoples. 

15.8 Hold all governments accountable to act on the Calls for Justice, and to implement them according to the important principles we set out.

We look forward to collaborating with you as a community to be the change we want to see in our spaces whether that is at a global, national, provincial and local scale.

From Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Final Report | MMIWG (mmiwg-ffada.ca).

For more information on what actions CSFS is taking, go to www.highwayoftears.org

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