Photo by Vince Fedoroff
ADDRESSING THE PRIORITIES – Gina Nagano speaks Thursday afternoon at the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-spirit+ People inaugural Accountability Forum. The others are, left-right, Erin Linklater, Joyce and Margaret Douville, Dean Hoogland and Chan Daktari Daria.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
STATING A GRIM REALITY – Nahanni Fontaine, a Manitoba MLA seen at Thursday’s forum, says there is ‘a slaughter of our women and our girls and two-spirited from coast to coast to coast.’
The Yukon Advisory Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) hosted its first Accountability Forum on Wednesday and Thursday at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse.
The Yukon Advisory Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) hosted its first Accountability Forum on Wednesday and Thursday at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse.
The forum led to a recommendation to the Yukon Advisory Committee to pursue 10 priority issues to further the strategy agreed upon in a declaration from December 2021.
The priorities, talked about at a news conference following the event, “represent critical and timely work that can be done to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and Two-spirit+ Yukoners.”
The priorities are:
Increase community and land-based infrastructure and programming, including after-care and development of camps and facilities.
Explore options to consider the application of United Nations Declaration on the Rights oaf Indigenous Peoples in the context of the Yukon’s modern treaties and evolving relationship with First Nations governments without agreements.
Complete community safety assessments, plans and implementation. Improve victim-centred and crisis-responsive supports for victims of gender-based violence and sexualized assault.
Eliminate violence related to development projects and improve the positive benefits of resource extraction and major infrastructure projects for Indigenous women and Yukon communities.
Appropriately and safely meet the needs of Indigenous women, girls and Two-spirit+ people for safe housing and freedom from poverty.
Provide adequate, long-term funding for Indigenous women’s organizations that is informed by a co-developed funding assessment process,
Embed an accountability framework into the Yukon’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ Strategy.
Establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ trust fund for families and survivors.
Commemoration of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ including restoring graves, fencing, and markers.
“It has been an honour to be part of bringing this important work to the forefront,” said Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Doris Bill.
“I look forward to the next steps on this journey to ensure equality, safety and respect of all Indigenous Women, Girls and Two- spirit+ people and for systems to begin to change to protect people now and in the future.”
Bill called the forum a “powerful, powerful two days.”
“I was reminded there is an urgency to this work that we’re doing, and that we must continue to work to address the violence against our women and girls and our two-spirited-plus people.
“We packed a lot into our two days here, and I hope that we gave people the tools that they can begin to work toward their own plan in their own community.”
Jeanie McLean, the minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate, said “today has been a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of our communities.
“It is with humility, and in the spirit of truth, justice and reconciliation that we will continue to work together to end violence against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ people.
“It was truly a monumental day as we came together for the first time with all of our partners and our families since the signing of the declaration in December of 2020,” McLean added.
“That’s where our partners and all levels of government and stakeholders signed a declaration to be Yukon’s strategy on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit+.”
McLean called it “really inspiring to hear about best practices across the Yukon.
“One of the key messages I had today was just re-affirming the Yukon government’s commitments to implementing this strategy that we worked so hard on.
“This is a long-term strategy and systemic change will take time but today has really proven that we’re ready to work together as a territory to achieve this.”
Other panel members at the news conference offered similar sentiments.
Nahanni Fontaine, a Manitoba MLA and a past president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, (NWAC) was the forum’s keynote speaker. At the news conference, she said, “These aren’t just exercises.”
In an impassioned comment, Fontaine said, “There is an ongoing genocide of our women.
“There is a slaughter of our women and our girls and two-spirited from coast to coast to coast. That’s why moments like this as difficult as they are, are so important.”
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Comments (20)
Up 20 Down 3
JustSayin' on May 26, 2022 at 4:02 pm
@First Nation
You do understand the hypocrisy and racism in your comments. You have to be brown to feel the effects of damages done by the Government?
We all feel the effects of residential school. The disgusting racist rhetoric you spewed is no different than that of other racist people. I'll go back to where I came from, but I was born here oh and I'm Indigenous
Up 13 Down 2
North_of_60 on May 26, 2022 at 3:37 pm
It is factually incorrect and emotionally inflammatory to judge the events of the past with the social morality prevalent today. That attitude only creates more misunderstanding, increases dissension and polarization in our communities, and makes any form of true reconciliation less likely to be achieved. Nearly everyone can agree that some practices acceptable in the past must not be repeated today.
Those of us who want a better future for all children will continue to seek common ground and speak out against divisive behaviour at all levels, especially political. Supporting politicians who seek to divide us and create discord to increase their power and control will not move us towards reconciliation and tolerance, or create a better future.
Up 13 Down 3
Dances with wolves on May 26, 2022 at 10:41 am
Hello Mitch - I appreciate the dialogue and the opportunity for engagement. I understand the psychology of people wanting to distance themselves from such a horrific word. However, I do not believe you or the Royal “we” to be responsible for these atrocities.
The Canadian Government set the rules of engagement in law. It was written into law under the umbrella of the Indian Act that in order to deal with the “Indian Problem” the government and its minions must “kill the Indian in the child”.
Absolutely, the word genocide fits on application to the intent and the actions taken by the Canadian Government. Dispute it all you want, it happened!
Here is the definition of genocide for you and others to contemplate:
Genocide became a crime in itself following the adoption of the ‘Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide’ by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948, as result of the events of the Holocaust. The Convention came into force on 12 January 1951.
Various different acts are defined in the convention as acts of genocide, including:
Killing members of a group.
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Residential Schools were intended to breakdown indigenous cultures through the disruption of community and familial
bonds. This resulted in the apprehension of children from families and an attack on their languages. Language is a psycholinguistic expression of culture. It defines how we see the world and communicate our thoughts and ideas about the world. To prevent one from speaking their own language is genocidal.
However, there were sterilizations, starvation experiments, and medical experimentation in the form of intentional viral infections. At the time the government of Canada intended, by law, to “kill the Indian in the child” it committed to the implementation of genocide!
That is not on you Mitch Holder. However, the Canadian Governments have attempted, successfully so, to paint “you” and “I” as the villain in their game of societal manipulation. Apparently you/we are implicitly racist. We cannot raise our current concerns about the inappropriateness of their current stratagem of divide and conquer if we do not look to the history of their actions in all of its grotesquerie.
The Canadian Government is racist in its form and its intent.
But I can hold two or more opposing views in my mind. I reject the notion of implicit bias as proffered by the Feds and their minions and I also reject any notion that I am somehow guilty by virtue of my presumed race for any involvement in genocide. The authorities are simply projecting and diffusing responsibility for their racist intent. And we are the scapegoat for their crimes.
Medical experiments - IRS/Feds
Starvation experiments - IRS/Feds
Destruction of language - IRS/Feds
Removal of children - IRS/Feds
Death of Indigenous children - IRS/Feds
Mass sterilization’s - Feds/Provinces
Mind control- erasure experiments - IRS/Feds/McGill University/Dr. Cameron
The son is not responsible for the sins of the mother/father/or, birthing person, or non-birthing persons… [Collectively] Stop it with your guilt and your apologies because you are not responsible for their crimes!
Up 7 Down 33
First Nation on May 26, 2022 at 8:18 am
Why do Caucasians always deny or take it personally? Someone want to explain this to me? You're angry because Genocide occurred? You feel personally attacked? Please look in the mirror. Are you brown? If you can't relate you become defensive and make more racist comments. Ya, this happened. If you're unaware of this please go educate yourself.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR BABIES MATTERED. Read the MMIWG and the TRC report. Read the documents and you will know first hand that we are still living with the damages, you might even be disgusted just like I am reading this racist diatribe. Seriously, If your Canadian, you vote, you pray to the God that put 10,000 babies in the ground and claim this is not your problem at all, please move back to the province you came from for your high paying YTG job, in your suburban dream. Go back to where you came from. It's like watching the southern sickness of ignorance spreading like COVID.
Up 14 Down 12
melba on May 25, 2022 at 1:57 pm
Drugs, alcohol, FAS, childhood trauma and sexual abuse - these are likely the driving factors behind the fact that First Nations men and women kill other First Nations men and women at many times higher rates than other communities.
And the reason behind the drugs, booze and trauma and abuse are largely the fact that a foreign invasion happened that destroyed their cultural fabric, lifestyle and self-governance. Not to say that FN people weren't busy killing each other just like humans all over the world did and do, but so far as the current issues, there are wrongs that happened that led to them. I have no problem admitting that. I agree that we need to do whatever it takes to set people on their feet again and support them in getting organized, strong and healthy.
Up 12 Down 1
Mitch Holder on May 25, 2022 at 12:33 pm
@ Dances with Wolves - good post, well articulated. I do however, contend in my own mind, your belief in our historical atrocities being characterized as genocide. How many Jewish children were educated before they were murdered? How many Rwandans? Now, the Uighurs, that starts to be a more nuanced discussion, as this is a people being educated while also being killed at the same time, today, which actually does support your belief.
Regardless, I respect your opinion, as it is likely more informed than my own. There are plenty of words in any Human language to describe the wrongs done to the peoples' native to these lands. But I disagree that genocide is an appropriate term and you should consider the damage that will do to those who wish to move forward in reconciliation. My grandfathers both died fighting genocide and for our freedoms to have this debate. Let's not waste the opportunities afforded us by our ancestors, for better or for worse.
Up 43 Down 3
North_of_60 on May 24, 2022 at 10:03 pm
Nearly all murdered aboriginals were killed by another aboriginal, usually someone they know. Most aboriginal murder victims are Men, not Women, Girls and Two-spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) . This overwhelming concern for only one small part of the problem is very disconcerting and appears disingenuous. This is an aboriginal problem and only the aboriginal community can solve it. Blaming everyone else and not accepting that responsibility is not reconciling anything, and only creates more rancor and division in our communities.
Up 27 Down 0
Mitch Holder on May 24, 2022 at 2:57 pm
Just to be clear, this changes nothing in regards to my concern for your missing and lost loved ones. No matter what you say about me, I still care for their well being and yours and I hope some missing people may yet be found. I understand you are speaking from a place of pain beyond anything I can ever help you heal in one lifetime. I hope you find reconciliation with yourself - when you want to reconcile with me, I will be right here.
Up 52 Down 4
Rosie on May 24, 2022 at 11:53 am
I stopped reading at Jeanie talking about humility again. Sorry dear, that's not humility, that's just allot of nerve. For anyone peeking behind the curtain, this is a production. Sorry Princess, Get real.
Up 41 Down 7
Mitch Holder on May 24, 2022 at 11:17 am
Accusing people who never killed your loved ones of genocide is not helping reconciliation and makes one question whether reconciliation is indeed the desired outcome by the First nations. Whether or not my ancestor potentially killed yours, I find this disgusting and insulting but nonetheless, I still support your rights as much as anyone's, albeit, with less enthusiasm today than yesterday. Reconciliation requires something from everyone involved or it does not work. If a recovering alcoholic came to your home to make amends, was 12 steps in, or even 3 steps and you threw this kind of misguided vitriol at them, they would probably go back to the bottle and that would partly be YOUR FAULT. Not to say you don't have the right, but, do you not also possess any tact?
Up 8 Down 37
Observer on May 24, 2022 at 10:58 am
Judging by the comments to date, one can be assured that a very good white washing of this article has occurred. There I said it.
Up 41 Down 5
Mitch Holder on May 24, 2022 at 10:34 am
The streets were so full of the dead, you couldn't even drive on them... This isn't Rwanda, this isn't Germany, this isn't a genocide. Go be in one and come back and give a report on that before you throw that word around with such callous disregard, lest you alienate what people do support your rights, myself among them. I categorically and vehemently deny any such claim of genocide ... Social causes do not matter when the world cannot provide for itself, because the lack of provision prevents the continuation of a society in which to advance social causes. Dwell on that a bit. We need to fix stuff, so we can all fix ourselves. Any deviation from that is denial and projection and a waste of precious time.
Up 55 Down 6
bonanzajoe on May 23, 2022 at 9:00 pm
And I'm still waiting to hear who is committing all this genociding. Will the FN please inform us?
Up 49 Down 2
Roy on May 23, 2022 at 5:13 pm
Genocide isn't a verb synonymous with murder. You can't "genocide" only a portion of the population, because that isn't genocide that's just murder. Genocide is kind of an all-or-nothing thing.
Up 71 Down 5
Sheepchaser on May 23, 2022 at 10:36 am
The terminology is troubling in so far as it goes nowhere to solve the problem. A genocide is a concerted and organized effort by an external force. Violence against women and girls (regardless of background) is almost always perpetuated by a male known to them. By scapegoating some ‘other’ they ensure the tragedy continues.
Up 39 Down 6
Groucho d'North on May 23, 2022 at 9:18 am
It appears that some facts get discounted or all-together ignored when this topic is once again back in the headlines. The best I have heard on this is from an Anishinaabe lawyer Joan Jack, who stated in an op-ed piece in the
Winnipeg Free Press called the Moose in the Room.
https://www.academia.edu/39684620/The_Moose_in_the_Room_Indigenous_Men_and_Violence_Against_Women
,
Up 70 Down 8
Please take a hard long look at your communities. on May 22, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Yes, the fact that Indigenous women go missing and/or are murdered is tragic.
Unfortunately the common denominator is the same, even in little old Whitehorse.
https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/man-pleads-guilty-in-women-s-deaths
Also, of the total solved homicide cases of Indigenous women between 1980 and 2014, half (53%) were committed by a family member, a quarter (26%) by an acquaintance and only 8% by strangers.
Source:
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jf-pf/2017/july04.html
Up 56 Down 13
Dances with wolves on May 21, 2022 at 10:01 pm
Most of the indigenous women and children are killed by other indigenous people. Silverfox, a now 23-year-old citizen of Selkirk First Nation, had originally been charged with second-degree murder in Bien's death but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in May.
Despite being sentenced to four years in prison for causing the death of Chelsey Bien, Lynzee Silverfox had just one more day in custody after her sentencing hearing on Aug. 27.
Silverfox, a woman from Pelly Crossing, Yukon, pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this year for killing 25-year-old Chelsey Bien at her Whitehorse apartment building in 2018.
The one remaining day in custody is a result of Silverfox's time already served in custody awaiting sentencing. Chelsey Bien was indigenous.
And shortly after there was another murder involving Linzee Silverfox:
On May 16th, 2019, investigators from Yukon RCMP's Major Crimes Unit arrested and charged two Pelly Crossing women with first degree murder, in connection to the December 2017 death of 37-year-old Derek Edwards of Pelly Crossing.
Charabelle Maureen Silverfox, 27 years old, and Lynzee Harriott Silverfox, 21 years old, are currently in custody and scheduled to appear in Whitehorse Territorial Court on Friday, May 17th, 2019.
However, I do believe that Residential Schools and the abuse that occurred there were part of the systemic racism put into law by the Canadian government to deal with the “Indian Problem”. I would agree that this was genocide committed by the Canadian government using the church as its instrument to carry out its will.
It is axiomatic in law that those who make others commit racist acts are in fact racist. Quit letting them blame you for your implicit racism…
Up 96 Down 9
George Moss on May 21, 2022 at 3:38 am
Memory says that most murders that have been committed against native women have been by native women and native men, there I said it.
Up 102 Down 11
yukon56 on May 20, 2022 at 5:12 pm
Most murders are committed by a person known to the victim.