Indigenous women and girls face a disproportionate level of violence in our country.
According to Stats Canada, they are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than anyother women in Canada.
September 30th marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission created 94 calls to action, including calls for an inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). As a result of the MMIWG national inquiry, Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was published with many recommendations and calls to justice.
Chief Annie Bernard-Daisley, Lead of the Mi’kmaq Women portfolio for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, says we have come leaps and bounds with the calls to action in Nova Scotia, but there is still a tremendous way to go. “The work we’ve done is astonishing. The NS government has been very supportive, especially the Status of Women office. They have been a true ally of Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia.”
Chief Annie says the Resiliency Centre in Truro and The Jane Paul Indigenous Women’s Resource Centre in Sydney have been incredible resources, but they need more funding. But above all, Chief Annie says we need culturally appropriate shelters for Mi’kmaw women.
We are unique, we need to have homeless shelters for our people, run by our people. They need to be safe environments for our people to be with their own, and their language and culture.
According to Chief Annie, the Centre being built by the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax is a beautiful start, but more is needed in Halifax and across the province. She says once people are on the streets, they are much more likely to be a MMIWG statistic. “These women are falling through the gaps in our society, and it’s only when something bad happens to them that people pay attention. I’m sitting at tables with the government trying to get people to notice us before something goes wrong.”
To create immediate solutions, Chief Annie believes you have to think simple – so she is starting a drive to get cell phones to women experiencing homelessness. She says we all have a role to play. “We know there won’t be a house built for them tomorrow, but we can get them simple safety solutions. In the TRC calls to actions, it says all Canadians must do their part. Stop judging our people and help your fellow man.”
No matter the table she’s sitting at, Chief Annie says she will stand up for people and make an impact. This isn’t her work – it’s her life, and she’s surrounded by it every day.
“It hurts like hell for everybody, that we are discarded, that we can be missing and murdered. I’m tired of it, I’m exhausted by it, I’m hurt by it. And it needs to stop.”