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Existing Measures & Engagement on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls •  A Preliminary Response to “Invisible Women”

Presented by: Winnie Babou, Drew Meerveld and Jessie Wallace, December 2015

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Faculté des sciences sociales | Faculty of Social Sciences

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International Scope

”States shall take measures, in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, to ensure that Indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.” - UNDRIP, Article 22(2)

2

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Presentation Layout

1. Overview of MMIW crisis 2. By the Numbers 3. Invisible Women: A Call to Action

4. Methodology 5. Examples from Select Findings 6. Analysis of Alternative Recommendations & Gaps 7. Concluding Remarks

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MMIW: THE CANADIAN CONTEXT

Historically: à  Asymmetric state-societal relations have contributed to

the social, cultural, political, and economic marginalization of FN, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

à  Enduring, inter-generational legacies from collective group experiences with:

•  Settler colonialism •  IRS system & ‘Day Schools’ •  ’60s Scoop Perhaps nowhere is the convergence of these linkages more explicit than with the crisis of MMIW.

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MMIW: THE CONTEXT Contemporary Developments: à  Pickton case (2006) à  NWAC-led Sisters in Spirit (2005): 5-year, $5M

initiative. à Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (2012):

Investigation of the role of the Vancouver Police and RCMP regarding the disappearances/murdered of women in the DTES.

à  RCMP report (2014-15): Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview

à  50+ reports conducted on the violent victimization of Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

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By the Numbers: -  2014 RCMP report identified

1,181 reported cases of Indigenous female homicides and unresolved missing Indigenous women (1980-2012).

-  Indigenous females represent 4.3% of the female population: comprise 16% of female homicides, 11.3% of missing female cases.

-  60% of female Indigenous murders occur in urban centers, compared to rural (28%) and on-reserve (13%) localities (NWAC, 2010).

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“Invisible Women”: An Environmental Scan

16 recommendations, 7 themes

•  Awareness campaign •  Support for the family of

victims •  Support for communities •  Police Services •  Violence against women

and girls •  Other supports •  Moving to action

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Methodology •  ~120hrs of research

•  Timeline: Sept. 21-Nov. 22

•  Internet-based searches •  Range of sources, including:

-  Government content (e.g. audits, websites) -  News articles

-  Press releases

-  Academic and civil society publications

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Selection of Findings: 6/16 Recommendations

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•  Justice Canada: $5M over next 5 years to raise awareness and create tools for building healthy relationships.

•  SWC: $2.5M over next 5 years to work with Indigenous stakeholders on engaging Indigenous males and empowering Indigenous females to prevent violence.

Federal involvement

( 2014 Action Plan)

•  Family Violence Prevention Program: $9M in on-going annual funding for 300 community-driven violence prevention programs and outreach awareness.

• Coordinated by the National Circle Against Family Violence.

Federal involvement

(INAC)

• The Highway of Tears Prevention and Awareness Project (BC)

•  I Am A Kind Man– “Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin (ON)

Provincial involvement

1.  That the federal government learn from the stories of the families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls and work with the provinces, territories and municipalities to create a public awareness and prevention campaign focusing on violence against Aboriginal women and girls in Canada. à 9 Findings

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4. That the federal government implement a national DNA-based missing person’s index. à 1 Finding

•  National DNA Databank initiative

•  Currently 697 unidentified remains in Canada.

•  DNA Bank would allows for national coordination to identify these victims and provides support for families of victims.

•  $8.1M over 5 years (DNA testing only). Expected to launch in Spring 2017.

RCMP

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6. That the federal government continue to support programming and legislation that allow Aboriginal communities to respond to violence. à 37 Findings

• Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy: Creation of 6 healing lodges, 7 family shelters, 2 family violence healing programs, 2 outpatient hostels, crisis intervention teams in 47 northern communities, over 460 community-based health/healing programs, training for more than 1,000 social services staff since inception in 1994.

ON Ministry of Community

and Social Services

• Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund

• $1.9M for 70 projects since its creation in 2004.

• 2015-16 recipients: $200,000 for 5 projects. • Examples: $50,000 allocated to Selkirk FN, $25,000 to Laird Aboriginal Women’s Society.

Yukon territorial

government

• $1.5 million over next 2 years “to increase services and supports throughout the province for Aboriginal people who are affected by domestic violence.” (August 2015)

• ‘Giving Voice’ initiative: 37 community organizations to receive $350,000 (2015-16) for community mobilization against violence facing Indigenous females.

B.C. provincial

government

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7. That the federal government examine options to address poverty as a root cause of violence against Aboriginal women and girls by empowering Aboriginal people through economic development opportunities and jobs and skills training. à 28 Findings

•  Skills and Partnership Fund: $7 million in funding to Nunavut’s Kivalliq Mine Training Society for training over 300 Aboriginal people (2015).

• FN Job Fund: $109M (2013-16) to support activities including skills assessments and personalized training.

Federal involvement

•  Aboriginal Information and Communications Technology program: $4.1M invested by N.B government for 3-year training-for-employment program in 2011.

•  Rupertsland Institute: Métis Training to Employment Program

Provincial/Territorial

involvement

• Women in Trades program, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies

• Aboriginal Construction Technology Program, Indigenous Leadership Development Institute

Trade-related

initiatives

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8. That the federal government engage First Nation communities to examine how to improve supports for shelters and front-line services on reserve for victims of violence. à 18 Findings

•  Family Violence Prevention Program: $92.5M allocated to on and off-reserve shelters over 5 years under Action Plan.

•  Approx. 55% of FN communities served by INAC-funded shelters.

Federal involvement

•  B.C. government under Provincial Domestic Violence Plan: $500,000 to be distributed to 56 transition houses and safe houses for the allocation of subsidies to Indigenous women and children.

Provincial involvement

•  NACAFV: Annual Training Forum– ‘Burnout Prevention for Frontline Workers’ 1-3 Dec. 2015

•  Talk 4 Healing Helpline: Services offered in English, Oji-Cree, and Cree to Indigenous women.

Civil Society

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Future Outlooks Recommendation 16 •  12 reports call for the creation of a

national action plan to address violence against Indigenous women and girls.

à Dissenting opinions of Liberal Party and

NDP (Invisible Women) à National Roundtable on MMIW à AFN’s Coordinated and Urgent Action to

Address Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls– Towards a National Action Plan (2012)

à ON Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs 2015-16 priorities: Joint Working Group plans for coordinated action to end cycles of violence.

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A Flawed Document •  The political game •  Language matters •  Recommendation 2: That the Federal Government

continue strengthening the criminal justice system to ensure, among other things, that violent and repeat offenders serve appropriate sentences.

•  Beat by alignment

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1.  National commission of inquiry 2.  National action plan 3.  Public acknowledgement & prioritization 4.  Indigenous-specific programs addressing root causes of MMAW 5.  Aboriginal involvement in program development/delivery 6.  Data – gathering and publication 7.  Public information and awareness raising 8.  Transport services and access to housing/shelters 9.  Community based first response measures 10.  Aboriginal sex worker care programs 11.  Relationship enhancement between Aboriginal peoples and police 12.  Investigation and prosecution changes 13.  Community-based and restorative justice measures 14.  Law reform of discriminatory legislation 15.  International human rights instruments 16.  Compensation healing fund

Alternative Recommendations

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1.  National commission of inquiry 2.   National action plan 3.  Public acknowledgement & prioritization 4.   Indigenous-specific programs addressing root causes of MMAW 5.  Aboriginal involvement in program development/delivery 6.   Data – gathering and publication 7.   Public information and awareness raising 8.  Transport services and access to housing/shelters 9.  Community-based first response measures 10.   Aboriginal sex worker care programs 11.   Relationship enhancement between Aboriginal peoples and police 12.  Investigation and prosecution changes 13.  Community-based and restorative justice measures 14.  Law reform of discriminatory legislation 15.  International human rights instruments 16.  Compensation healing fund

Alternative Recommendations

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1.  National commission of inquiry 4 2.  National action plan 12 3.  Public acknowledgement & prioritization 4 4.  Indigenous-specific programs addressing root causes of MMAW 28 5.  Aboriginal involvement in program development/delivery 20 6.  Data – gathering and publication 14 7.  Public information and awareness raising 15 8.  Transport services and access to housing/shelters 12 9.  Community based first response measures 4 10.  Aboriginal sex worker care programs 4 11.  Relationship enhancement between Aboriginal peoples and police 21 12.  Investigation and prosecution changes 15 13.  Community-based and restorative justice measures 6 14.  Law reform of discriminatory legislation 5 15.  International human rights instruments 5 16.  Compensation healing fund 4

Alternative Recommendations

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More than an Employment Strategy

•  Reducing Poverty •  Adequate housing •  Improved education •  Healing for the Perpetrators

•  P/T poverty alleviation strategies •  Autonomy

4. Properly Resourced, Indigenous specific programs designed to address the root causes of violence against Indigenous Women.

28 Reports

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Aboriginal Peoples Program •  women’s community •  family violence •  women’s self-government participation Provincial native women’s associations •  Nova Scotia, Ontario, Yukon, Northwest Territories,

Newfoundland and Labrador. •  ensure programming is developed with the woman’s

perspective.

5. Aboriginal Involvement in program development and delivery 20

Reports

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11. Measures to improve relationships between police and indigenous individuals and communities

•  A story of almosts •  Draft framework to address violence against aboriginal women •  Public safety: Comprehensive Review of First Nations Policing Program •  BC White Paper on Justice Reform

1) Awareness

•  OPP Native awareness training •  RCMP cultural awareness Training

2) Relationship Building

•  Vancouver Diversity and Aboriginal Policing Section •  Toronto Aboriginal Peacekeeping Unit •  Winnipeg police community sessions •  1-2 aboriginal liaisons: Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Calgary and Saskatoon

3) Involvement

•  Vancouver Police Department Cadet Program •  Aboriginal Community Constable Program

21 Reports

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CONCLUSION

•  A tale of 2 timelines

•  Short-term •  Culturally responsive adjudication •  Ratio of Indigenous liaison positions (urban, rural)

•  Long-term

•  Education •  Perceptions •  Stable funding