Missing and murdered indigenous women and girls experience layers of discrimination including sexism, racism and classism. It is important to name the discrimination so that we can make changes to the status quo
The National Inquiry logo, designed by lead artist Meky Ottawa, revisits the traditional roots of female Indigenous expression and empowerment. The design combines the traditional symbols of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women.
The onslaught of continuing hate toward Indigenous peoples and women in particular seems to have no end in sight, as the resistance to the oppression continues as we fight for our sovereignty. The insults have no bounds as they mock our painful past and threaten to continue the genocide that had been placed upon us since contact.
It is clear that the ones who refuse to recognise Indigenous peoples as equal members of treaties that are still being broken by the Canadian and American governments know more than they let on about the culture and traditional governance systems. Attacking the women and children to destroy the hearts and souls of the men is what they strive to do, in order to gain control and power. After the psychological abuse and torment and they gave been able to gaslight as many as possible, their physical attack ensues.
"Over 20 White Supremacists yelling Racist slurs rallied outside of Tiny House Warriors village... laughing and mocking the murdered & missing Indigenous women genocide & threatening the safety of Indigenous Land Defenders. This is a hat crime & the RCMP are part of the problem, we don't trust them....and now they are siding with the White Supremacists. All eyes to the Front-line. Let's keep the Front-line Land Defenders safe by keeping watchful eyes on them." Mayuk Manuel
Mount Robson, Unceded Secwepemc Territory, so-called British Columbia, Canada, along the route of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project
The crimes against humanity the governments have committed against Indigenous women and peoples have gone unpunished, and covered up for Canada to maintain it's idealistic multicultural image. Although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintains that reconciliation is at the top of the list, he has no problem allowing man camps to be established to build pipelines across unceded lands.
These camps are a breeding ground of abuse, drug trafficking, and sexual grooming and exploitation. The arguments Indigenous peoples have against pipeline is not just about the pipeline. It is about the safety and security of the next seven generations, which the women are essential to carrying on.
"In this era of “reconciliation”, Indigenous land is still being taken at gunpoint. INVASION is a new film about the Unist’ot’en Camp, Gidimt’en checkpoint and the larger Wet'suwet'en Nation standing up to the Canadian government and corporations who continue colonial violence against Indigenous people. **Full Length Film coming in 2020** The Unist'ot'en Camp has been a beacon of resistance for nearly 10 years. It is a healing space for Indigenous people and settlers alike, and an active example of decolonization. The violence, environmental destruction, and disregard for human rights following TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) / Coastal GasLink’s interim injunction has been devastating to bear, but this fight is far from over."
In February of 2020, the Mohawks answered a call of solidarity in turn shutting down Canada with many support blockades and movements as Coastal Gas Link forced their way through unceded Wet'suwet'en territory after being given a number of other options by the hereditary chiefs. These pipeline projects will only bring more man camps and create more dangers to all peoples living in the areas.
Pipes for the CGL LNG pipeline project lay in rural BC near Wet'suwet'en traditional territories [Photo courtesy of Delee Nikal]
The injustice spreads westward at the speed of white supremacy and the doctrine of discovery. Alberta's oil sands have the third-largest oil reserves in the world, after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. It spans 142,000sq km (54,826sq miles) in northern Alberta, running through the traditional territories of the Cree, Chipewyan and Dene First Nations.
Thousands house these workers in "man camps" (camps housing mainly male employees working on resource development projects) which were built next to the processing plants. For weeks or months at a time, these camps are their home. The overflow workers live in Fort McMurray, which was originally a fur trading post, established in 1870.