Appearance before the Standing Committee on the Status of Women regarding the Red Dress Alert, April 18, 2024

Logistics

Date: April 18, 2024
Time: 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: Room 330 Wellington Building (197 Sparks St.)
Subject: Red Dress Alert

Appearing

2. Opening Remarks

Kwe kwe, Ullukkut [Ood-loo-koot], Tansi, hello, bonjour.

I would like to acknowledge that we are on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people.

Thank you all for the work you have done on this important initiative. This committee has been incredibly effective over the years – and that's thanks in large part to former Chair Karen Vecchio. Thank you Karen for all the work you did to keep this committee efficient and effective in its important work.

I would also like to thank my colleague from Winnipeg Centre (Leah Gazan) for kickstarting this process, for her strong advocacy for Indigenous women and girls every day — and for always holding my feet to the fire. And also a huge thank you to Pam Damoff – who has been an advocate every step of the way for a Red Dress Alert.

This work will save lives.

As we all know, Budget 2024 included an investment of $1.3 million to continue developing the Red Dress Alert – this is exciting news that will keep the momentum going.

Every Indigenous person who goes missing and is not found, is a failure on our part.

I know there will be some people who are frustrated at the pace of implementing an alert – there are some people who say it can be done overnight.

I do not subscribe to that belief. We need to keep the pressure on and move quickly, but we also have to get this right.

There are many factors to consider, as you have heard through this study. Those include:

• Different regional contexts
• Strained relationships between communities and law enforcement
• Jurisdictional considerations

Moving the dial on this is not an option or a choice, it is a moral imperative.

Despite only making up 4% of the Canadian population, Indigenous women and girls represent 28% of homicides perpetrated against women.

An Indigenous woman is 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than a non-Indigenous woman.

Alerting systems in states like California and Washington are helping locate people – and studies show us that the hours after someone goes missing are the most critical to finding them.

In February, I drove the entire Highway of Tears. I sat with and listened to grassroots organizers on the frontline – the Tears to Hope Society who you heard from earlier this week among them.

Alongside a Red Dress Alert, they stressed the importance of solving this systemic crisis. At the Denny's where we had breakfast that morning, the women told me about how important ceremony is to them, and how important it is to pass along traditions and languages to the next generation.

In 2016, our Liberal government called a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls – after years of the previous government refusing.

This June will mark five years since the National Inquiry released its Final Report – and the Calls to Justice.

The 231 Calls to Justice require investments in shelters, community safety, culture, housing, infrastructure. We are making progress in all these areas – and Budget 2024 was another example of that.

But I say this all the time: the Calls to Justice are not a checklist. They require urgent, sustained action, and commitment from all parties.

They are long-term, structural changes that help us undo the legacy of colonialism. This work is critical, and it will not happen overnight.

Eventually, the hope is to get to a place where we no longer need a Red Dress Alert. Or in other words, we build a future where Indigenous Peoples are safe. The Government will be a partner in that journey.

I thank everyone who has contributed so far to informing the future path. Your work is invaluable.

Meegwetch. Qujannamiik [Koo-ya-na-meek]. Marsee. Merci.

3. Canada-wide Emergency Alert Systems

4. Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People

5. Progress on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Calls for Justice

Key Messages

• Call for Justice 1.7 calls for the establishment of a National indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson and tribunal. To move forward on the implementation of this Call for Justice, on January 10, 2023, then Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller appointed Jennifer Moore Rattray as Ministerial Special Representative (MSR) to provide advice and recommendations, in support of Call for Justice 1.7 to create an Indigenous and Human Rights ombudsperson. Her work was supported by $1.6 M over 2 years from Budget 2023.
• Over the course of 2023, the MSR met with Indigenous governments and organizations across Canada, as well as federal, provincial and territorial officials, to seek views on what an ombudsperson could and should look like. Based on these engagements, she produced a report with recommendations, which she presented during the second national Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on February 7 and 8, 2024. These included recommendations for the establishment of national and regional ombudspersons, to focus on federal services, programs and policies.
• Her final report was submitted in March 2024 and is expected to be publicly released in Spring 2024.

Background

• Call for Justice 1.7 states: "We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in partnership with  Indigenous Peoples, to establish a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson, with authority in all jurisdictions, and to establish a National Indigenous and Human Rights Tribunal. The ombudsperson and tribunal must be independent of governments and have the authority to receive complaints from Indigenous individuals as well as Indigenous communities in relation to Indigenous and human rights violations, and to conduct thorough and independent evaluations of government services for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and communities to determine compliance with human and Indigenous rights laws.
• The ombudsperson and the tribunal must be given sufficient resources to fulfill their  mandates and must be permanent."
• On January 10, 2023, then Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller appointed Jennifer Moore Rattray as the MSR to provide advice and recommendations, through engagement with survivors, families, partners and organizations, in support of Call for Justice 1.7 to create an Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson.
• The MSR met with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations, Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, and urban Indigenous organizations - including families and survivors. Meetings were also held with federal, territorial, and provincial partners leading work on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Gender-Diverse People (MMIWG2S+) to gather information and provide advice and recommendations on the way forward.
• The MSR was independent from the public service and reported directly to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. Her contract ended on March 31, 2024.
• The MSR submitted an interim report in October 2023 and she presented her findings during the 2024 National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on MMIWG and 2SLGBTQI+ People. Her final report was submitted in March 2024.
• The MSRs recommendations include: the establishment of four national Indigenous and Human Rights ombudspersons (distinctions-based and urban), and 13 regional ones, who would be independent, Indigenous-led, enshrined in legislation, and adequately funded.
• The MSR's work has focussed on the recommendation to establish an Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson. She references the need for a tribunal as well. Action Plan Measure 19 (under shared priorities) of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan focuses on  establishing an independent Indigenous rights monitoring, oversight, recourse or remedy mechanism or mechanism. Work undertaken in relation to that action plan, lead by the Minister of Justice, will no doubt be relevant to the human rights tribunal component of Call for Justice 1.7.

Current Status

• The MSRs final report on CFJ 1.7 (an Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson) has been received, and is being reviewed to inform next steps.
• The Final Report is tentatively scheduled for public release in Spring 2024.

Key Messages

• The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (National Inquiry) found that the violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people amounts to genocide.
• The Government respects the National Inquiry's findings and acknowledges that the legacy of past actions and policies, such as the Indian Act and residential schools, have directly led to the loss and extinguishment of Indigenous languages, cultures, and traditional practices.
• The Government has taken action through policies, programs, legislation and investments to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People, and remains committed to ending this national crisis of violence.

Background

• The National Inquiry's Final Report states that the violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people amounts to a "race-based genocide of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis, which especially targets women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people". As part of its Final Report, it released a supplementary report with a legal analysis on genocide. Many families, survivors, and witnesses that shared their truths with the National Inquiry also used the word "genocide" in their testimonies.
• In the days after the release of the National Inquiry's Final Report, at the Women Deliver Conference in 2019, Prime Minister Trudeau stated that "We accept their [the National Inquiry's] findings, including that what happened amounts to genocide." Subsequently, in his speech at the release of the National Action Plan on June 3, 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated this statement.
• The Federal Pathway includes the National Inquiry's finding of genocide, and reflects the Prime Minister's statement in Vancouver in 2019. It also states that the Government of Canada recognizes that the legacy of federal policies, programs, regulations and laws, created and perpetuate systemic inequities for Indigenous Peoples, including marginalization, higher rates of illness, disability, suicide, food insecurity, poverty, and violence" and  "acknowledges that colonialism, racism, sexism and ableism have created systemic inequities for Indigenous Peoples, contributing to the loss and extinguishment of Indigenous languages, cultures and traditional practices, and that these inequities have impacted the rightful power and place of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people."
• Addressing the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People is a key priority for the Government of Canada, and the Government has taken action as part of the Federal Pathway, working together with Indigenous partners, and coordinating with provinces and territories.
• Actions have included the implementation of programs such as those supporting families and survivors, cultural spaces, health and wellness, languages, shelters, housing, education and data, as reported in the federal annual progress report. Policies and strategies on gender-based violence and violence prevention, equity and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people, Indigenous justice, and mental health and wellness are being developed and implemented. Legislation on key issues such as Child and Family Services, Indigenous languages and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people have been passed.
• The National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on MMIWG, which started in 2023, and was enhanced with an in-person component in 2024, provides an annual forum for interjurisdictional discussions, and enhanced collaboration with Indigenous partners.

Current Status

• The Government will continue to do what is right and necessary to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people and to foster the healing of families, survivors, and Indigenous communities.

Key Messages

• All Canadians have a right to receive well-funded, culturally responsive, and respectful police services.
• The Government of Canada is working jointly with First Nations partners to gain consensus on common interests and possible solutions to co-develop legislation recognizing First Nations police services as an essential service.
• These efforts support broader work to respond to Call for Justice 5.4 in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls calling on "governments to immediately and dramatically transform Indigenous policing from its current state".

Background

• First Nations police services in Canada receive financial support from Public Safety Canada through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP). Through FNIPP, policing services are supported through tripartite policing agreements among the federal government, provincial or territorial governments, and First Nation or Inuit communities. Costs under FNIPP are shared with provinces and territories in accordance with a 52% federal and 48% provincial/territorial cost-share ratio.
• There are two main types of policing agreements:
  • Self-administered Police Service Agreements, where a First Nation or Inuit community manages its own police service under provincial policing legislation and regulations; and,
  • Community Tripartite Agreements, where a dedicated group of officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provides policing services to a First Nation or Inuit community.
• There are currently 36 First Nations police services and one Inuit police service across the country, serving 157 communities. These operate in alignment with provincial and territorial policing standards and authorities.
• First Nations in Canada have long called for reform to how First Nations police services are funded and have advocated for federal legislation that recognizes First Nations policing as an essential service.
• The 2021 mandate letters committed the Minister of Public Safety to co-develop federal legislation that recognizes First Nations police services as essential services through equitable, flexible, and sustainable funding, with the support of the Minister of Indigenous Services and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
• Through Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced significant new investments to support culturally responsive policing in Indigenous communities. This new funding includes $540.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $126.8 million ongoing, to support First Nations and Inuit communities currently served under the FNIPP and expand the program to new First Nations and Inuit communities.

Current Status

• The Minister of Public Safety is focused on advancing litigation and addressing the core issue of funding.
• The Minister has committed that federal legislation will respect the current mandate of Indigenous police services under the jurisdiction of provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners. While legislation will provide greater certainty and predictability of the program, it falls short of the position of the Assembly of First Nations.  As a result, the AFN has withdrawn from this process.
• First Nations police services face significant challenges and financial obstacles to deliver adequate and culturally appropriate policing services. Public Safety has lead co-development efforts since 2022, including ongoing engagements with First Nations communities, organizations, and police services, Provincial and Territorial partners, and other subject matter experts on these shortcomings.
• The First Nations and Inuit Policing Program is also the subject of active litigation (Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation, Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario, and l'Association des Directeurs de Police des Premières Nations et Inuit du Québec) on the grounds of underfunding, and discriminatory provisions of a service.

Program-Level Data

• Any questions regarding program related date should be directed to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs and the department of Public Safety, who are responsible for FNIPP.

Key Messages

• The Government of Canada remains committed to the important work of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls.
• On September 6 and 7, 2023, Canada hosted the Fifth Convening of the Working Group alongside United States and Mexico. Government officials and Indigenous leaders from Canada, Mexico, and the United States took part in discussions on two themes: human trafficking and access to justice.
• The Human Trafficking Taskforce, led by Public Safety Canada and comprising key federal departments including Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, plays a pivotal role in strengthening the Government's response to human trafficking.

Current Status

• Mexico has assumed chairpersonship of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls as of January 2024. It is anticipated that Mexico will host the official sixth convening later this year. Details are still to be confirmed.
• Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will continue to support Public Safety Canada on the Human Trafficking Taskforce working group.

Key Messages

• The violent deaths of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are a tragic reminder of the alarming number of incidences of violence, discrimination and abuse in our country against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people that cannot  be ignored.
• The Government of Manitoba has committed $20 million to undertake a search of the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran and the Government of Canada also intends to make a commitment.
• A search of the landfill will send a message to all Canadians that First Nation women are important and deserving of respect.

Background

• In December 2022, Winnipeg Police Service informed the families of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myron, both from Long Plain First Nation, that: the women were the victims of homicide; their remains may have been deposited in the Prairie Green Landfill; and the Winnipeg Police Service did not plan to search the landfill as part of the homicide investigation.
• Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with first degree murder in the deaths of four First Nation women:  Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myron, Rebecca Contois, whose partial remains were found in the Brady Road Landfill, and an unidentified woman the community has named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe (Buffalo Woman).  His trial is scheduled to begin on April 29, 2024.
• In response to sustained calls to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myron, the Government of Canada has consistently messaged that it will work with victims' families, First Nation leadership and the Government of Manitoba to support measures grounded in the intention to do the right thing for Ms. Harris, Ms. Myron and their families.

Current Status

• Ministers Anandasangaree and Vandal attended a meeting on March 22, 2024, convened by the Premier of Manitoba and attended by the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and representatives of the Morgan and Harris families.
• At that meeting, the Premier announced that the Government of Manitoba will make $20 million available to undertake a search of the Prairie Green Landfill.
• It is the intention of the Government of Canada to continue to support measures grounded in the intention to do the right thing for Ms. Harris, Ms. Myron and their families.

Program-Level Data

Program/Investment:

• $500,000
  • Funding / Performance Indicator Data
    • Provided to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in March 2023, to oversee the development of a study to determine the feasibility of searching the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two murdered First Nation women.  The Prairie Green Landfill Feasibility Study Report was submitted on May 4, 2023.
• $740,000
  • Funding / Performance Indicator Data
    • Provided to the Long Plain First Nation in October 2023, to oversee the development of comprehensive and integrated plans to support a search. The Search the Landfill: Inter-related Operational Planning Report was submitted on January 24, 2024.

Key Messages

• The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls includes a Deeper Dive on Resource Extraction and five Calls for Justice specific to Extractive and Development Industries.
• My colleague responsible for Natural Resources is uniquely positioned to lead on the collaboration and coordination required to bolster progress on the Calls for Justice by leveraging their longstanding relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations, natural resource sectors and federal, provincial and territorial partners. I am pleased that they have also successfully advocated for the inclusion of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Shared Priorities Action Plan Measure (APM) 12 on safe, secure and equitable resource development.
• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has established a dedicated team to lead this measure and has begun early foundational work to guide its implementation.

Background

• The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls includes five Calls for Justice (13.1 to 13.5) focused specifically on the Extractive and Development Industries. They call for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to gain a better understanding of the impacts of natural resource projects and ensure the safety, security and socio-economic well-being of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ peoples.
• While resource extraction presents a significant economic opportunity for local Indigenous communities, the National Inquiry also highlighted that resource development projects can exacerbate the problem of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ peoples. There are several contributing factors such as: transient workers, harassment and sexual assault in the workplace, rotational shift work, substance abuse, and addictions and economic insecurity. Some studies about Indigenous and racialized women's experiences in mining camps show that "three-quarters of the women working in these industries have experienced discrimination based on gender, indigeneity, or sexual orientation".
• In 2022, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) conducted a study on this issue, resulting in the report : Responding to the Calls for Justice: Addressing Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls in the Context of Resource Development Projects. It addresses a wide range of topics and provides recommendations that includes the involvement of  federal, provincial, municipal jurisdictions, as well as private industry. Recommendations focus on Indigenous Rights, social infrastructure and service capacity, and increasing data collection, skills and representation in the natural resources sector. NRCan and CIRNAC co-led on the Government Response presented to the House on March 31st 2023, with input from thirteen other government departments.
• On June 21, 2023, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Action Plan was released, and includes four action plan measures (APMs) which touch on the natural resource sector. APM 12 specifically calls for safe, secure and equitable resource development for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
• In 2017, NRCan co-developed the Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committee for the Trans Mountain Expansion with Indigenous partners, in response to a request from communities to the Prime Minister. The Committee brings together 13 Indigenous and six senior federal representatives to provide advice to regulators and to monitor the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) and existing pipeline. A key priority of the Committee is identifying and addressing the impacts of temporary work camps and the influx of workers. This initiative has been highlighted in MMIWG Federal Pathway Annual Reports as responding to the five Calls for Justice on Extractive and Development Industries.

Current Status

• Natural Resources Canada has established a dedicated team to lead on APM 12, which has begun early foundational work to guide its implementation through:
  • Partnering with the co-developed Trans Mountain Expansion and Existing Pipeline's Socio-economic Subcommittee to gather wise practices from their Work Camps and other Influxes of Workers Initiative;
  • Initial engagement through relationship building with National Indigenous Women's Organizations including Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Native Women's Association of Canada and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak as well as other Indigenous partners and communities;
  • Partnering with Women and Gender Equality to draft indicators that will be used to inform the co-design of a performance measurement framework;
  • Initiating the co-design of an engagement strategy with National Indigenous Women's Organizations, 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, natural resource industry associations, and others; and,
  • Ensuring that all NRCan policies, programs and signature initiatives consider the perspectives of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people and integrate safe, secure and equitable resource development priorities.

Key Messages

• Addressing the disproportionate violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people continues to be a key priority for the government. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has passed various legislation, implemented programs, services and policies and made substantial investments to address the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S+).
• Between 2016 and 2019, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women and Girls was funded and mandated to examine the systemic causes behind the violence against Indigenous women and girls. In response to the Inquiry's 2017 Interim Report, the government provided additional health supports; extending the Family Information Liaison Units; established a commemoration fund; reviewed police policies and practices; and, the established National Investigative Standards and Practices Unit within the RCMP.
• Subsequent to the release of the National Inquiry's report, the federal government made significant investments to address the Calls for Justice and support Indigenous organizations to be part of the development and implementation of the National Action Plan. This included investments in the Fall Economic Statement 2020, Budgets 2021, 2022, and 2023 for actions on shelters and housing, infrastructure, Indigenous languages, policing, mental health and wellbeing, access to health care, cultural spaces, the justice system and healing for families and survivors.

Background

• Since 2016, the government provided $103.8 million for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women and Girls (September 1, 2016 – April 30, 2019). This includes an additional $50 million the Inquiry requested for a two-year extension in March 2018.
• In response to the National Inquiry's Interim Report (November 2017) the following was provided: $21.3M over three years to complement the health supports provided by the Inquiry including $5.42M in 2019-20 to extend the timeframe of the Family Information Liaison Units and community-based supports; $10M over two years for a commemoration fund to honour the lives and legacies of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals; $1.25M for a review of police policies and practices; and, $9.6M over 5 years for a new National Investigative Standards and Practices Unit at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
• Subsequent to the release of the National Inquiry's Final Report, the government committed to developing a National Action Plan with Indigenous partners, as per Call for Justice 1.1. The government provided funding to support the participation of Indigenous partners in the development and implementation of the National Action Plan ($6 million per year).
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement invested $781.5 million over five years, beginning in 2021–22, and $106.3 million ongoing. This ensured expansion of access to culturally relevant supports for Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQI+ people including shelters and transitional housing through the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy; negotiation of administration of justice agreements; and implementation of the Gladue Principles^{Footnote 2} and Indigenous-led responses in order to help reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice system.
• Budget 2021 funded a total of  $2.2 billion over 5 years and $160.9 million ongoing to a number of activities to address MMIWG specifically such as:
  • Cultural initiatives, i.e., revitalization and preservation of Indigenous languages; rehabilitation and building of cultural spaces and access to meaningful sports activities;
  • health and wellness initiatives, i.e., activities to address anti-Indigenous racism in the health care system; and a new program to support the wellbeing of families and survivors;
  • human safety and security initiatives,  i.e., co-development of a legislative framework for First Nations policing; Indigenous-led crime prevention strategies and community safety services; and a new Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities initiative.
  • justice initiatives, i.e. support to help Indigenous families navigate the family justice system and access community-based family mediation services; development alongside Indigenous community of legislation and initiatives that address systemic barriers in the criminal justice system; and increasing prosecutorial capacity in the territories;
  • a program to ensure the voices and perspectives of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people are reflected in all aspects of decision-making and another to provide opportunities to ensure that monitoring mechanisms on addressing MMIWG (which included funding to establish an MMIWG Secretariat).
• Budget 2021 also took broader action that addresses the socio-economic root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, such as improving access to education, and health and wellbeing services for Indigenous people; supporting the improvement of infrastructure; and support Indigenous entrepreneurs and economies.
• Budget 2022 provided continued support for Indigenous children and families and housing and infrastructure, and other activities that address the Calls for Justice.
• Budget 2023 supported a total amount of $124.7 million to support the following initiatives;
  1. Indigenous-led projects for safer communities through the Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative;
  2. Family Information Liaison Units by making them a permanent resource for Indigenous people;
  3. the National Family and Survivors Circle to keep families and survivors at the centre of the implementation of the National Action Plan and the Federal Pathway;
  4. the establishment of a national Indigenous-Federal-Territorial-Indigenous Roundtable on MMIWG2S+ as a forum to discuss cross-jurisdictional issues related to MMIWG; and
  5. the development of an oversight mechanism to monitor and report on the progress on ending the violence.

Current Status

• Progress continues to be reported on in the Annual Progress Report on the Federal Pathway. The third Annual Progress Report is scheduled to be released on June 3, 2024.

Key Messages

• The federal government made significant investments through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021 to support actions, initiatives and programs to end violence against Indigenous women girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
• These initiatives and programs are being led by over 20 federal departments and agencies and they  continue to support concrete progress for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people in areas such as shelters and housing, education, health care, and wellbeing.
• The Government of Canada is committed to accelerating efforts to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Background

• The Federal Pathway was originally accompanied by funding announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021. Since that time, some of these initiatives have begun to sunset.
• The Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report, released each year on June 3, provides a snapshot of the progress made and the linkages to the Calls for Justice. The Federal Pathway is an evergreen document that will evolve over time. Furthermore, the Horizontal Initiative on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG), found in the Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report, reports on common goals and outcomes. It also includes information on which programs have sunset.
• An example of a sunset program in 2022/23 is the Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program – which has supported 66 projects across the county to re-establish and revitalize Indigenous cultural spaces through a total of $108.8M,such as: New Multi-use Cultural Space (Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke; Quebec); Culture and Language Camps Project (Metis Nation of Ontario); Witset Youth Healing Lodge Project (Witset First National, British Columbia) ; and the Nunamiutuqaq - Building from the Land project (Kitikmeot Heritage Society, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut).
• Programs that are sunsetting in 2023/24 include:
  • Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems – total funding of $117.8M (ISC) and $14.9M. To date, Indigenous Services Canada has funded 157 projects nationally, in collaboration with 102 partners through Budget 2021, to begin addressing anti-Indigenous racism in health systems.
• Other sunsetting programs include: Distinctions-based mental wellness strategies and trauma-informed metal wellness services – total funding of $597.5M; and Affordable Housing in the North – total funding of $160M.
• The following are some examples of programs and initiatives announced in Budget 2021 that are scheduled to sunset in the coming years; however, this does not preclude the possibility that funding for any of these programs could be renewed.
  • Funding currently scheduled to sunset 2024/25:
    • Supporting Access to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Documentary Heritage- total funding: $14.9M.
    • Community Infrastructure Fund – totally $4.3B
  • Funding currently scheduled to sunset in 2025/26
    • Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative – totalling $103.8M
  • Funding currently scheduled to sunset in 2026/27:
    • funding for the establishment of a permanent MMIWG Secretariat – total funding: $16M
    • Data Advisory Group and Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects Program – total funding: $8.5M.
    • Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations Housing Investment - total funding: $565M
  • Funding currently scheduled to sunset in 2028/29:
    • Inuit Housing Investment – total funding: $845M
    • Métis Housing Investment - total funding: $190.2M
  • There also are many federal government programs and initiatives that have ongoing funding, which are implemented on a continuous basis, such as:
    • CIRNAC's Support for the Wellbeing of Families and Survivors of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Contribution Program – ongoing funding: $2.5M annually – which has so far funded 34 Indigenous-led projects that provide   assistance and services for the healing journeys of individual Indigenous family members and survivors who have missing or lost loved ones due to violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people;
    • CIRNAC's Enhancing Support for Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Organizations – ongoing funding: $8.6M annually to provide stable project funding and support the amplification of the voices and perspectives of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people in the development of policies, programs and legislation; and,
    • The Department of Justice's Family Information Liaison Units which provide specialized services to families of missing and murdered Indigenous people to access all the available information about their missing and murdered loved ones, were funded by Budget 2023 with $95.8 M over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $20.4 M ongoing.

Current Status

• While some of investments have begun to sunset, there are a number of ongoing programs and initiatives that are working to end the violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. In addition new investments continue to be announced, that have extended earlier sunsetting programs or initiatives, such as the Budget 2023 investments to support the Family Information Liaison Units.

Key Messages

• Over 85% of the Calls to Action under shared or sole responsibility of the federal government are complete or well underway.
• These actions are leading to significant and consequential changes that serve to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation.
• Completing all 94 Calls to Action requires fundamental policy and legislative changes to address systematic barriers.

Background

• In 2015, upon the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Final Report, the Prime Minister committed to work in partnership with Indigenous communities, the provinces, territories, and other vital partners, to fully implement the Commission's Calls to Action. Canada has adopted a whole-of-government approach to implementing the TRC Calls to Action.
• Of the 94 Calls to Action, 76 are shared or sole responsibility of the federal government and 15 are led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Norther Affairs Canada.
• In 2021, the Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations was tasked with leading federal work to accelerate the implementation of all Calls to Action.

Current Status

• Bill C-29, legislation to provide for the establishment of the National Council for Reconciliation, has been in the House of Commons for consideration of amendments adopted by the Senate since November 2023. Debates have been held in February and March. Once established, the National Council for Reconciliation will be an independent, Indigenous-led, not-for-profit organization working to monitor and advance reconciliation in Canada (Calls to Action 53 through 56).
• Collaboration is ongoing with departments to identify the necessary steps to accelerate implementation, address systemic challenges hindering progress, and involve all partners (Indigenous, all levels of government, etc.) in responding to the Calls to Action.
• The Government of Canada continues to work with the Permanent Bilateral Mechanisms with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Leaders to collaborate on joint priorities; co-develop policy and monitor progress; and, encourage implementation of the Calls to Action.