Red River Women

Each year, dozens of Canadian Aboriginal women are murdered or disappear never to be seen again. Some end up in a river that runs through the heart of Winnipeg.



It was one of those never-ending summer days that John O'Donovan relished.

It was August 2014, and the detective from Winnipeg's homicide unit had just finished Sunday lunch with his family and was preparing to walk his dogs, retired greyhounds.

But then the phone buzzed with a familiar number and O'Donovan knew his peace and quiet was about to end.

It was his duty inspector with news that a body had been found weighted down in a bag in the Red River, the river that runs through Winnipeg and is the lifeblood of the city.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-dc75304f-e77c-4125-aacf-83e7714a5840

last year and I have not been able to get it out of my mind yet. I live between three major reservations and the picture is pretty bleak for a lot of the First Nations peoples. Some are doing well but some aren't even close.

Did his government do anything to help these people? It sounds like a long-term problem.

Canada, regardless of who is in government is unflinching in hanging on to it's Victorian colonial era approach to the First Nations that didn't even make much sense even when the treaties were signed (1871 to 1921). There is no way to make these small isolated reserves economically or socially viable communities.

Judging by his warm reception of Syrian refugees, he seems pretty "human"; maybe this is something else he will try to tackle. I have no idea what the answer is but these "isolated reserves" must have a pretty strong history of self-sufficiency. Is global warming or something diminishing their ability to hunt/fish/farm/thrive?

of First Nations' problems - poverty, lack of access to health-care, improving housing, education and all those things they've been denied - especially northern communities. Women and girls missing and murdered and the need for much more immediate attention from the law and courts .... I just hope their leaders hold his feet to the fire.

I wish him and them all the best in their efforts. I suppose the vast distances are an obstacle to accessing services.



ETA: Last week I saw a news clip on this company that is developing the use of drones to deliver blood supplies and other health care needs to remote areas in developing countries.

I really doubt much is going to change under his watch.

Self-sufficiency is very hard to do anywhere on earth when you have expectations of not dying of old age at 40.

But 100 attempts and 1 success? Do they really want to die, or are they just really shitty at it.

It's a miracle and a blessing that only one has died, but I'm perplexed. Is that a normal attempt/success ratio?