Our Children Our Way Society Recognizes National Day of Action for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

News Release – Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Territory

October 4 marks the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). On this day, the Our Children Our Way Society reflects on the sacredness of women and the impact of violence on our communities.

“Since the beginning of time, our women were held as sacred within our communities. Our roles were critical. We were the keepers of our homes, the bringers of medicine, and we played a vital role in how decisions were made amongst our people. Colonization has directed its violence at our women (and children) since it’s imposition in our communities.” Jennifer Chuckry, Our Children Our Way Secretariat Executive Director.

To honour our lost and missing loved ones, we must commit to creating meaningful change and tending to the deep healing needed within our communities.

The National Inquiry into MMIWG2S+ brought forward 231 Calls for Justice that urge us all to take responsibility. It is crucial for every individual to respond to this ongoing crisis and ask ourselves “How am I implementing the Calls for Justice?”

As a starting place, we encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the Calls for Justice and to breathe life into them through your everyday life and work. Whether through education, advocacy, or community involvement, every action counts.

Suggested Resources for Learning:

• National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Our Women and Girls Are Sacred: The Interim Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women and Girls
• National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Their Voices Will Guide Us: Student and Youth Engagement Guide
• Bringing Justice Home: Recommendations to Honour Our Lost and Missing Loved Ones
• Highway of Tears

Calls for Justice for All Canadians. We call on all Canadians to:

15.1 Denounce and speak out against violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

15.2 Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.

15.3 Develop knowledge and read the Final Report. Listen to the truths shared and acknowledge the burden of these human and Indigenous rights violations, and how they impact Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people today.

15.4 Using what you have learned and some of the resources suggested, become a strong ally. Being a strong ally involves more than just tolerance; it means actively working to break down barriers and to support others in every relationship and encounter in which you participate.

15.5 Confront and speak out against racism, sexism, ignorance, homophobia, and transphobia, and teach or encourage others to do the same, wherever it occurs: in your home, in your workplace, or in social settings.

15.6 Protect, support, and promote the safety of women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people by acknowledging and respecting the value of every person and every community, as well as the right of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people to generate their own, self-determined solutions.

15.7 Create time and space for relationships based on respect as human beings, supporting and embracing differences with kindness, love, and respect. Learn about Indigenous principles of relationship specific to those Nations or communities in your local area and work and put them into practice in all of your relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

15.8 Help hold all governments accountable to act on the Calls for Justice, and to implement them according to the important principles we set out.

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For further comment, please contact: Jennifer Chuckry, Executive Director, Our Children Our Way Society [email protected]