On June 3 the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, released the 2022 to 2023 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report.
The report summarizes actions taken by nearly 20 federal departments and agencies to address and support the safety and well-being of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGTBQI+ people, as well as their families and communities impacted by violence.
The report also highlights the Government of Canada’s efforts to advance the priorities outlined in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People National Action Plan and respond to the Calls for Justice directed at the federal government in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Through the work completed from 2022 to 2023, the federal government is building better relationships with families, survivors and partners, and increasing accountability and transparency on its work to date.
“The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is ongoing. With the magnitude of this ongoing national tragedy, we need to continue to work together on a comprehensive response to address the complexity and interconnectivity of its root causes, as well as address the need for accountability. As evidenced in the current budget, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerate these efforts, through ongoing and further collaboration, investments, and initiatives, in order to create safety for all Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, no matter their circumstances. We have made this a priority and will not stop until their safety is no longer at risk,” said Miller.
Through partnerships, considerable progress has been made on key initiatives that prevent and respond to violence through housing, shelters, transportation, infrastructure and direct support for the well-being of families and survivors. Families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have long called for accountability in responding to the Calls for Justice, and in making sure they get the answers they deserve.
Over the past year, this progress included:
– advancing the development of 30 new individual community safety plans
– advancing work on 22 new shelter and transitional projects that will result in 178 units built by 2026
– funding over 1,000 Indigenous language projects
– supporting 66 Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities projects across 11 provinces and territories
– allocating over $3 million to develop 13 new healing and wellness programs to support Indigenous families and survivors affected by violence against MMIWG2S+
-holding the first-ever national roundtable with Indigenous families, survivors, leaders, community partners, and federal, provincial, and territorial governments on MMIWG2S+ priorities
– announcing the appointment of Jennifer Moore Rattray as Ministerial Special Representative
– introducing the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence
– launching the federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan aimed at advancing rights and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada
Looking ahead to 2023 to 2024 and beyond, the Government of Canada will keep working on the implementation of concrete actions that make real and positive impacts on the lives of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. These actions will include prioritizing discussions on an alert system, an ombudsperson and oversight mechanism.
The voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people are at the front and centre of Canada’s response to this crisis. The federal government has been listening and is taking action based on these lived experiences.
“The pain of losing a loved one is immense. Since the final MMIWG report was published in 2019, Canadians have had a growing understanding of the many aspects of violence and its horrible toll on survivors, families, and communities. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people face threats that go beyond physical violence. We must work together at all levels to create greater access to shelters, community safety and culturally informed mental health services and holistic care as outlined in the National Action Plan. The path toward healing and reconciliation must be led by Indigenous survivors, families, leaders, and partners. I am committed to supporting families and working on solutions that address the root causes of violence to end this national crisis. I thank all the advocates, allies and partners who push us to do more, much more quickly,” said Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services.
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line is available to provide emotional support and crisis referral services to individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Call the toll-free Crisis Line at 1-844-413-6649. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
