Learn more about the epidemic in Canada and the U.S.
CMHR, Aaron Cohen
This resource guide addresses sexual, racial and lateral violence – and combinations thereof – which may impact some readers. Please feel free to call the national support line at 1–844-413‑6649 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
In addition, other aftercare and support services can be found at the following links: Aftercare Services (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls), Hope for Wellness Helpline.
In 2023, Statistics Canada released a report showing that Indigenous women and girls were six times more likely to be murdered than other groups of people in Canada. Between 2009 and 2021, Indigenous women and girls made up of 2% and 3% of the Canadian population, yet represented 5% and 7% of homicide victims. The United Nations (in addition to Canadian and Manitoba‐led inquiries) have consistently noted that the deaths, and the failure to seek justice for these victims, are a clear violation of international and domestic law and demonstrate the deadly intersections of racism, colonization, misogyny and homophobia.
These statistics do not give a name or a face to these daughters, granddaughters, sisters, aunts, mothers, grandmothers and friends – human beings – who have experienced this ultimate victimization of ongoing colonialism.
This resource guide includes links to resources that tell the stories of these women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people – and the people (often relatives) seeking justice – in addition to providing context about this ongoing crisis. Resources include books, material suitable for children and youth, news reports, community and support organizations, academic papers, videos, research reports and more.
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls NI‐MMIWG) was launched by the Government of Canada in 2016. The Inquiry was independent of the federal government and had a mandate to examine, investigate and report on the systemic causes of violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls.
Over two years of Canada‐ wide hearings and evidence gathering resulted in the publication of Reclaiming Power and Place, the National Inquiry’s final report, in 2019, which brings together the stories of over 2,300 family members, survivors and knowledge keepers. The report “reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The two‐volume report calls for transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country.”1
1Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. National Inquiry Into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, 29 May 2019, www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/.
Their Voices Will Guide Us: Student and Youth Engagement Guide
In this guide, you will find links to resources related to the residential school system and the stories of children who were taken from their families and sent to residential schools.
In this guide, you will find links to resources related to wrongful convictions and the impact of systemic racism and discrimination on the justice systems in settler colonial contexts such as Canada, the United States and other countries around the world.
This monumental work of art honours Survivors of Canada’s residential schools. A new website lets you learn from their experiences and bear witness to their stories.
