Manitoba calling on feds to recognize MMIWG2S crisis as Canada-wide emergency

Ahead of Red Dress Day on May 5, NDP MP Leah Gazan tabled a motion in the House of Commons Tuesday calling on the federal government to declare the continued loss of MMIWG2S people as a Canada-wide emergency.

“We are in a crisis.”

Between 2016 and 2021, 247 Indigenous women were identified as victims of homicide. Gazan says there is an ongoing genocide that is happening in Canada.

“People are going murdered and missing every day. We are precious; we are valuable; we are loved; we are not garbage,” said Gazan.

Gazan is calling for urgent investments in the creation of the Red Dress alert system that notifies the public when an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing. The system was mentioned in the federal budget, but there is no timeline for when it will begin.

“The time to wait is gone. We now must all take action, and we urge the government today in the strength of our prayer and the ceremony of our lives to take action now,” explained Sandra DeLaronde, project lead for MMIWG2S+ Implementation Community, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre.

The NDP are also calling on the Liberals to implement a housing and social support system for children aging out of care, create a liveable income and carry out prevention initiatives that honour the rights of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

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Hilda Anderson-Pyrz says every day is a fight for survival. “The genocide of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited, gender-diverse people is a serious and critical situation. Canada has the responsibility to support immediate, sustained, and impactful action.”

Nikki Komaksuitiksak’s sister was murdered in Winnipeg 22 years ago and says her family still hasn’t gotten the justice they deserve.

“We need to come together. We need to stand together, and we need to make our voices loud. We need to be heard. Enough of this. We are human beings. This is not nice and it’s not cool and it’s not right,” said Komaksuitiksak.

Benny Michaud, a Métis person representing Two Spirit Coalition, says the urgent need for action has been outlined in the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ National Action Plan which includes 149 recommendations.

“Women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people have a right to cultural knowledge, health and wellness, safety and security and the right to justice,” explained Michaud.

According to research out of the University of Toronto Mississauga, Indigenous women are 400 per cent more likely than other Canadians to go missing. Jerry Flores says there are many factors to this.

“A lack of access to safe housing, domestic abuse, sexual abuse. A lack of access to mental health services. A lack of access to educational support. All of these things are coming together and other types of social inequalities to lead young women to be in these positions in the first place,” said Jerry Flores, associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga.