We notice the racism and mistreatment in America.
We question the oppression of women in the Middle East.
We voice our opinions on the discrimination of women in athletics, religion, and the workplace.
And still.
It somehow slips our minds that there is a war on women in our very own country.
The stories of aboriginal women in Canada are often neglected or put aside as insignificant. However, the dangers they face solely caused by their ethnic background and gender cannot be ignored.
‘Um it, it isn’t really high on our radar, to be honest … Our ministers will continue to dialogue with those who are concerned about this.’
– Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a public inquiry into missing aboriginal women
Over the last 30 years, a minimum of 1000 aboriginal women have been reported missing or murdered to the RCMP. But according to the Ministers of Indigenous Affairs and of Status of Women, that count is realistically over 4000. To contrast that number, 5665 non-aboriginal women were murdered within that same time period.
The terrifying fact is that although their murder rate is skyrocketing, indigenous women make up no more than 4.3% of the female population (Census 2006). On top of that, the homocide rate for aboriginal women is 3.64 per 100000 women, while the rate for non-aboriginal women is 0.65 women per 100000.
To add to the horrors of these events, the aboriginal population does not feel as though the government is taking these investigations seriously. While the government says 90% of these cases are solved, the indigenous activists claim only 50% are actually solved in entirety. The problem in the eyes of the indigenous population is the misdirection of blame from the police. When a woman has gone missing or is murdered, the officers working the case often suggest the victim simply died of an overdose, committed suicide, or ran away from home. The CBC survey 110 families of missing and murdered aboriginal women and asked them to rate the police service on a scale from one to ten, averaging out to a low score of 2.8 out of 10.
Because of the sense of abandonment regarding the cases from the police, the families and friends of the victims are often left to investigate on their own, to keep looking for loved ones and to actively protest for better treatment. In British Columbia, an observation by Human Rights Watch lead to the discovery that police would often blame and shame the aboriginal women seeking protection and help.
“This is not an aboriginal issue, it is not a women’s issue, it is an ongoing Canadian tragedy.”
–Carolyn Bennett, a liberal member of Parliament
And so the story continues.
It is crucial to our Canadian society that this crisis is taken seriously by both the Canadian government as well as the police. As the government and the police compose half of the criminal justice system, it is necessary that their efforts are clear and strong. They cannot victim blame nor ignore these issues. There is no other option. These investigations must be taken seriously because it is becoming a national crisis.
When Justin Trudeau came into power as Prime Minister in 2015, one of his very first actions was initiating an inquiry into the investigations of missing and murdered aboriginal women. This is already a step in the right direction.
But that will not be enough.
The only way to begin fighting against this horrible issue is by stepping up and speaking out. We cannot change our communities for the better unless we do something.
So what can you do?
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