The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) marked National Indigenous People’s Day on June 21 by releasing a new report tracking the progress of 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG2S).
It’s been five years since the national inquiry released their findings and only a few of those 231 calls for justice have been completed.
According to the AFN’s report, in areas such as policing, correctional services and extractive industries, few if any calls for justice have been even started.
The vast majority of the calls for justice remain a work in progress, something that the AFN states must be addressed.
“Preventing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people remains a critical priority for First Nations.” said AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak in a statement. “Despite some encouraging steps, the AFN progress report reveals that the implementation of the calls for justice is far from complete.”
Nepinak went on to call on all levels of government to recommit to implementing all of the calls for justice.
“Significant and substantive action is needed now more than ever to enhance the safety for First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and ensure justice for survivors and families,” she said. “We call on all levels of government to recommit to implementing the calls for justice and ensure that First Nations are meaningfully included, based on the principles of justice, respect for human rights, and good faith, to improve safety of First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.”
Some steps back
The AFN noted that rather than progress, there have been a few areas that have seen regression over the last five years.
One of those areas is funding for Family Information Liaison Units (FILU)s which provide support and information to families of MMIWG2S.
Funding provided for FILUs has been far lower than targets that were originally set. FILUs were intended to be funded with over $37 million over five years, but in reality have only received a little under $8 million annually. This funding shortfall has led to some FILUs closing.
Another area of concern that the report highlights is the negative impacts that anti-trans policies have had over the past year on 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.
The provinces of Alberta, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan all introduced policies last year targeting trans youth. While each policy slightly differs, all require trans youth to get parental permission before their correct pronouns are used in schools.
RELATED: In Alberta’s new war on trans people, children will suffer
“It’s shameful how little has been done to address the specific needs of 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals,” said Tyler George, chair of the AFN 2SLGBTQQIA+ Council in a press release. “While we have made some progress, more must be done to ensure the safety, security, and rights of 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals. We call on Canada to prioritize and accelerate its efforts for the full implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice. This is essential not only to protect but also to uplift 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, creating safe and inclusive environments where they can thrive and where their rights as First Nations and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals are respected and upheld.”
Some steps forward
While there is still work to be done, there has been some real progress on the issue of MMIWG2S over the past five years.
The report specifically highlights significant federal legislation that has included things like Bill C-92, an Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families, which recognizes Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services.
Another significant highlight at the federal level was the introduction of a Red Dress Alert bill in the House of Commons.
This bill, introduced by Indigenous NDP MP Leah Gazan, would create a national alert system for MMIWG2S based on the existing Amber Alert system for missing children.
READ MORE: Red Dress Alert motion receives unanimous support from MPs
While progress has been made, Grand Chief Connie Big Eagle, chair of the AFN Women’s Council says that more must be done to address the lack of action and funding that has led to the slow completion of all of the 231 Calls for Justice.
“While we have seen progress like studies for the establishment of new human rights institutions, the progress report shows that critical areas such as policing and corrections require urgent reforms. This was further highlighted in the Auditor General’s report released in March 2024, which indicated significant mismanagement of resources and poorly designed policing programs by Public Safety Canada,” she said in a statement from the AFN.
“This inaction and lack of adequate funding and resources is unacceptable and must be addressed. Our Nations cannot afford to wait while our First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ members continue to face violence or disappear,” Big Eagle concluded.
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