Violence against indigenous women is woven into Canada’s history

Violence against indigenous women is woven into Canada’s history

An inquiry into 1,200 murders and disappearances must examine the deep-seated racism of the country’s colonial roots and institutions

Jaskiran Dhillon and Siku Allooloo
Monday 14 December 2015 10.10 EST

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announced on 8 December the launch of a national inquiry into the approximately 1,200 documented cases of indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered over three decades. The inquiry is a state-led response to the alarming rate of gender violence against indigenous communities across the country – a crisis that has resulted in international scrutiny of Canada’s failure to uphold the human and political rights of indigenous peoples.

The announcement was received with mixed emotions. There was applause from some quarters, including members of parliament and leaders from Canada’s largest aboriginal organisation, the Assembly of First Nations, who praised Trudeau for his move towards “a total renewal of the country’s relationship with its aboriginal population”.

Among indigenous families and advocates there was an understandable sense of relief and anticipation that the authorities will finally be forced to act on unsolved cases, potentially put an end to the epidemic of violence, and raise awareness about the deep-seated racism that is woven into the fabric of Canadian society. Affected families, survivors and community groups have been pushing for government action on this crisis for decades, but authorities have so far failed to respond in any meaningful way. Others have raised serious concerns about Canada’s ability to deliver justice to indigenous communities at all.

If you step back and look at the bigger picture, this is what becomes visible: the call for a national inquiry exists against the backdrop of Canada’s ugly and violent colonial history. It is easy to link Canada’s failure to acknowledge and engage with this injustice to its last prime minister, Stephen Harper, who repeatedly refused to support an inquiry throughout his nine-year tenure and infamously stated, “Um, it’s not really high on our radar, to be honest.” Harper, though, is only one in a long line of colonial leaders who have actively participated in, and benefited from, the widespread normalisation of violence against indigenous peoples.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/14/violence-indigenous-woman-canada-history-inquiry-racism