According to a Canadian government statistic, young Indigenous
women are five times more likely than other women of the same
age to die as the result of violence. Indigenous women have long
struggled to draw attention to violence within their own
families and communities. Canadian police and public officials
have also long been aware of a pattern of racist violence
against Indigenous women in Canadian cities – but have done
little to prevent it. The pattern looks like this: - Racist and
sexist stereotypes deny the dignity and worth of Indigenous
women, encouraging some men to feel they can get away with acts
of hatred against them. - Decades of government policy have
impoverished and broken apart Indigenous families and
communities, leaving many Indigenous women and girls extremely
vulnerable to exploitation and attack. - Many police forces have
failed to institute necessary measures – such as training,
protocols and accountability mechanisms – to ensure that
officers understand and respect the Indigenous com