The #ShutDownCanada protest is underway near Walpole Island.
Here is our interview with the organizers from yesterday: Walpole Island preparing for #ShutDownCanada
The Sydenham Current is on the way to the protest.
We’ll provide more information when it becomes available.
In the meantime, here is the information being handed out at the event:
Bkejwanong Territory will be participating in solidarity with the #ShutDownCanada day of action by creating a TRAFFIC SLOW DOWN to pass on information on Canada’s Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women to passing motor vehicle travellers.
The goal is to significantly impact the Canadian economy for a day and demand there be an independent inquiry into the 2000+ cases of missing or murdered indigenous woman.
It’s time to #ShutDown Canada!
When: Friday February 13, 2015
Time: 10am—5pm
Where: Highway 40 and Dufferin
The event can be found on Facebook @ Bkejwanong Territory Shut Down Canada #MMIW
Please feel free to contribute.
Food, Drummers, Signs/Posters needed.
Questions? Contact T-Bird @ 226-627-4477
There is no national data sources regarding missing persons in Canada. This makes it difficult to look at the issue of missing Aboriginal women and girls in comparison to other missing women.
Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has created a database of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls. NWAC has worked hard to research every case, yet we believe there are still many more cases to document. The statistics below are based on NWAC’s database as of March 31, 2010
NWAC (Native’s Women’s Association of Canada) has gathered information about 582 cas-
es of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls. Of these:
– 67% are murder cases (death as a result of homicide or negligence);
– 20% are cases of missing women or girls;
– 4% are cases of suspicious death-deaths regarded as natural or accidental by police, but considered suspicious by family or community members;
– and 9% are cases where the nature of the case is unknown-it is unclear whether the woman was murdered, is missing or died in suspicious circumstances.
Why are the rates of violence so high?
– Racist and sexist stereotypes deny the dignity and worth of Indigenous women, encouraging some men to feel they can get away with violent acts of hatred against them.
– Decades of government policy have impoverished and broken apart Indigenous families and communities, leaving many Indigenous women and girls extremely vulnerable to exploitation and attack.
– Many police forces have failed to institute necessary measures – such as training, appropriate investigative protocols and accountability mechanisms – to eliminate bias in how they respond to the needs of Indigenous women and their families.
How severe is the problem?
– Indigenous women are far more likely than non-Indigenous women to experience violence. In a 2009 government survey of the ten provinces, Aboriginal women were nearly three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to report being a victim of a violent crime.
– The violence experienced by Indigenous women is more severe. RCMP statistics released in 2014 show that Indigenous women are four times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women.
– The high rates of violence threaten the lives of Indigenous women and girls from all walks of life, in every region of the country, on reserve, and in major Canadian cities. The perpetrators include Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal men alike.
– Some patterns of violence facing Indigenous women and girls are different from those facing non-Indigenous women. For example, according to the RCMP report released in May 2014, Indigenous women are more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered by what the police call acquaintances—friends, colleagues, neighbours and other men who are not intimate partners or spouses.
A report released by the RCMP in May 2014 states that 1,017 Indigenous women and girls were murdered from 1980-2012. Because of gaps in police and government reporting, the actual numbers may be much higher.
What needs to happen to stop the violence?
– A concerted, national response that is comprehensive, coordinated, well resourced, and developed in collaboration with Indigenous women and girls themselves. It should include:
– A national action plan to end violence against women which addresses the root causes of violence and identifies holistic, culturally-appropriate ways in which to prevent violence and to support those impacted by violence.
– A national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women focused on exposing the nature of this violence and on ensuring government and police accountability for an effective and coordinated response.
– Regular, comprehensive collection of data on violence against Indigenous women in official crime statistics.
Article taken from http://www.amnesty.ca/
