From: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

December 4, 2023 — Ottawa, Ontario

NationTalk: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada – The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, spanning from November 25 to December 10, is an opportunity to recommit to speaking up against all sorts of acts of gender-based violence.

There is a real, ongoing crisis of gender-based violence against Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (2SLGBTQI+) people go missing and are murdered at alarming, disproportionate rates. This has to stop.

Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced over $13 million in funding for 31 Indigenous-led projects to keep working to put an end to violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

To truly address the root causes of this violence, we need better data on First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people who go missing, according to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. From this new funding, approximately $7.1 million will support 18 Indigenous-led projects that will improve the collection of consistent and reliable data, and address current gaps in knowledge to better develop and support Indigenous-led, evidence-based solutions to improve the safety of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada.

Funded projects will:

• Explore ways safety is defined and measured among First Nations through the First Nations Information Governance Centre’s project, called Define and Measure Safety Among First Nations Women, Girls, and Gender Diverse Individuals.
• Develop a data strategy and improve data methodologies that are specific to missing and murdered Inuit women, girls, and gender-diverse Inuit through Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada’s project, called Inuit Count. This will increase Inuit representation in current data and inform initiatives that reduce gender-based violence for Inuit, whose have unique circumstances and experiences.
• Co-construct an interactive map by analyzing statistics, stories and images that will help improve understanding around the disappearances and murders of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people in Quebec through the Quebec Native Women Inc.’s project, called Nānīawig Māmawe Nīnawind, Stand With Us.

To support the healing journeys of Indigenous families and survivors of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, approximately $6.2 million in funding has been allocated to 13 Indigenous-led projects.

Funded projects will:

• Provide families and friends with a peer network that offers cultural healing and reinforces positive cultural identity and practices through Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary’s project, called Cultural Healing and Supports for Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirits.
• Provide support and guidance for families to navigate health and wellbeing supports that are culturally relevant and available to them through the Ontario Native Women’s Association’s Indigenous Victim and Family Liaison Program expansion project.
• Provide opportunities for The Pas community members to engage in cultural traditions and ceremonies that foster healing, such as arts, music and dance, peer support, and ceremonial feasts through The Pas Family Resource Centre’s project, called Kiseetiskatano (We Hold Each Other Up).

Each of these 31 projects, led by Indigenous organizations from coast-to-coast-to-coast, plays a crucial role in making communities safer and ensuring that survivors, families, and communities have access to Indigenous-led, culturally safe, and trauma-informed services and supports.

Quotes

“We have to put an end to the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Today, we’re taking small but significant steps. These projects announced today, during the 16 Days of Activism, will contribute to healing while looking forward to identifying future solutions and strategies to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. More to do.”

The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Quick facts

• In Canada, self-reported data collected in 2018 indicates that more than six in ten (64%) Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. In comparison, approximately one-third of non-Indigenous women have experienced these types of violence.
• The 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan was developed in partnership with survivors, families, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, as well as provincial and territorial governments, in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
• The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People is Canada’s contribution to the National Action Plan. It is supported by historic investments.
• Budget 2022 and Budget 2023 provide additional investments toward implementing the National Action Plan and addressing some of the root causes of this crisis, including racism, housing, education, mental wellness and health care, and economic development and employment.
• The 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan and the Federal Pathway are both complementary to and aligned with the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, launched in November 2022. In particular, Pillar 4 of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence speaks specifically to the need for Indigenous-led approaches to preventing and addressing gender-based violences experienced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
• The Government of Canada’s theme for the 2023 campaign for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence is ‘Listen. Learn. Act’. It addresses the key steps to tackling gender-based violence: LISTEN refers to supporting survivors who share their experience, and to the experts that work on the frontlines; LEARN encourages us to educate ourselves on what gender-based violence is, how to spot it, and how we can prevent it and take action; ACT is for taking the information and applying it in our daily lives.
• This funding announced today helps respond to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice 3.7, 5.24, 5.6, 16.44, 17.2, and 18.4.
• In spring 2022, approximately $1 million in funding was announced for 19 projects from Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada’s Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects program.
• In spring 2022, approximately $2.5 million in funding was announced for 20 projects from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada’s Support for the Wellbeing of Families and Survivors of MMIWG and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Contribution Program.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Indigenous-led data and healing projects funded through Budget 2021

Associated links

• Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects program
• Support for the Wellbeing of Families and Survivors of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Contribution Program
• 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence
• The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
• 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
• National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence
• Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• Calls for Justice

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Matthieu Perrotin
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
matthieu.perrotin@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

CIRNAC Media Relations
RCAANC.Media.CIRNAC@sac-isc.gc.ca
819-934-2302