Missing and Murdered

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis and genocide refers to the alarming, disproportionate rates of systemic violence, kidnapping, and murder targeting Indigenous women across Canada. Indigenous women are statistically six times more likely to be killed than non-Indigenous women in Canada, driven by deep-rooted systemic racism, marginalization, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism. The Indian Act (1876) The Indian Act of 1876 governs many aspects of Indigenous life, including band governance, land use, and legal status. It has historically imposed patriarchal structures and discriminatory rules, particularly targeting Indigenous women. High Homicide Rates Indigenous females represent a vastly disproportionate number of missing persons files and homicide victims relative to their small share of the overall population. From 2001 to 2015, the homicide rate for Indigenous women in Canada was almost six times higher than that for other women. In Nunavut, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, homicide victims has been even higher, in part due to the larger Indigenous populations in these provinces and territories. Systemic Neglect Investigations into cases involving Indigenous women have historically suffered from a lack of mainstream media attention, systemic underfunding of police resources in remote or tribal areas, and institutional indifference. Cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women over the last half-century were not properly investigated due to police bias. The 49 women murdered by serial killer Robert Pickton, who was eventually jailed in 2007, is an example. 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 or Indigenous. National Inquiry The Government of Canada, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with the support of all ten provincial governments, established a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016. It concluded that the crisis amounts to a race and gender based genocide rooted in state actions and colonial policies. Broader Advocacy The movement has expanded to explicitly include Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other sexual and gender-diverse identities. REDress Project The REDress Project, started in 2010 by artist Jaime Black, is a public art installation dedicated to the remembrance of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous women. It consists of red dresses, hanging or laid flat in public spaces, with each empty dress symbolizing one of the missing and murdered. Her first dress was displayed in a Museum in Winnipeg, which lead to the creation of Red Dress Day (May 5) to call attention to disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women. Red Dress Day Red Dress Day, observed annually in Canada on May 5th, is a national day of awareness, remembrance, and action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. The empty dresses evoke a strong physical presence to mark a tragic absence of each murdered and missing women and girls. Participants display red dresses on trees, porches, or windows. They wear red clothing or Indigenous-made red pins and beadwork. Community vigils, walks, rallies and educational gatherings are held to bring awareness to the Project. REDress Project - Seaforth Peach Park, Vancouver.