Four Canadian Ministers Issue Statement on Sisters in Spirit Day Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Four federal ministers issued a joint statement in Ottawa on October 4 for Sisters in Spirit Day and the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People. The statement was issued by Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations; Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services; Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs; and Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality.
The ministers said they honour and remember all the Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people who have gone missing or been murdered, stand with the survivors, families and communities whose advocacy continues to drive action and accountability, and recommit to ending this violence. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People, with progress over five years in community safety, culture and language, health and wellness, justice and policing, shelters and housing.
Recent federal support cited in the statement includes $300,000 for Giganawenimaanaanig to advance the next steps on a Red Dress Alert pilot in Manitoba, $2.6 million for the National Family and Survivors Circle to continue centring survivors and families in implementing the Calls for Justice, and over $978 million in federal investments to support 46 existing shelters, enhance violence prevention and establish 92 new emergency and second-stage shelters. The government also recently announced $607.4 million over four years to continue implementing the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence across the country.
The ministers said ending this violence requires sustained action and investment, and that more work remains to be done in partnership with survivors, families and communities. A national, toll-free 24/7 crisis line offers mental health support at 1-844-413-6649.
Source: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Ontario 省 St. Catharines 街头悬挂的红裙，纪念失踪与被谋杀的原住民女性、女童。图片来源：Gogerr 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。EN: A red dress hangs in St. Catharines, Ontario, in memory of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Image: photo by Gogerr, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
