WCAPS Canada Statement in Solidarity with the Indigenous People of Turtle Island

WCAPS Canada Statement in Solidarity with the Indigenous People of Turtle Island June 10, 2021 Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) Canada Chapter expresses its strong solidarity and support with the Indigenous people of Turtle Island amidst ongoing violence towards the Indigenous community and the disappearances of Indigenous people across the country.

The recent discovery of the graves of 215 children by the Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation in British Columbia has devastated Canada and the international community. These systemic atrocities committed against generations of Indigenous peoples reinforce the urgency of taking the necessary steps to address the intergenerational effects of colonialism that continue to negatively impact Indigenous communities today.

For more than 150 years, Indigenous children were ripped from their families and forced into Residential Schools that perpetuated the ethnic cleansing of Indigenous peoples and has had long-lasting and intergenerational effects on the physical and mental health of Indigenous populations in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) found that Residential Schools were “a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” We acknowledge the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and believe it is our collective responsibility to address ongoing violence in order to move forward and work towards reconciliation.

According to the Native Women's Association of Canada, “Indigenous women in Canada today are seven times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be a victim of murder and three times more likely to be violently or sexually assaulted.” In 2017, Justice Canada reported that “Indigenous women represent 10% of the total population of missing women in Canada,” a number that is troubling and unacceptable.

Similarly, in the United States, Indigenous women are ten times more likely to be murdered than the average American. Since 2016, “the National Crime Information Center has reported 5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls.” We believe the current systemic response that is put in place to respond to violence against Native women is not sufficient. Collectively, we must recognize and address the violence against Indigenous women and girls, and work to address the urgency of this crisis.

Dismantling systemic discrimination and racism against Indigenous communities requires each of us to act. WCAPS Canada is committed to working alongside the Indigenous Canadian community and other communities of colour to support, advocate for, and elevate women of colour worldwide.