The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) is calling out the federal government for what is sees as a lack of action on its own reconciliation goals.
Today – October 4 – is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“CAP stands with the families and communities today to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people,” the national organization stated in a press release.
“Sadly, since the Calls for Justice release in 2019 and the National Action Plan in 2021, the federal government has failed to meet its own Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) goals,” says CAP National Chief Elmer St. Pierre. “It’s 2023, four years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and we only partial implementation of three of the 231 Calls for Justice.”
Eight years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) asked to implement the 94 Calls to Action, they remain unfulfilled.
“With no oversight mechanism, no Indigenous ombudsperson and no red dress alert to support the safety of Indigenous peoples, there is a definite lack of action,” stated the release. “The Calls for Justice demanded that all levels of government work towards substantive equity for all Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people. This has not occurred. ”
CAP officials are calling on the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree and his staff, and all levels of government, to work towards the necessary changes, as identified in both the Calls for Justice and the Calls to Action.
“We acknowledge that the federal body is not solely responsible, but respectfully ask that increased pressure be placed on all other levels of government and entities to protect Indigenous people,” said the release. “We call on the Minister to act on the Calls for Justice by providing transparency and accountability to all Indigenous Women and Girls, including 2S+ peoples and Men and Boys impacted by Canada’s lack of substantive equity, security, and safety.”
CAP has also taken a stand with Rose LeMay and demands investigation of all landfills and all MMIWG related injustices on Indigenous peoples. The Government of Canada has stated that it have focused their response to “redress violence through immediate and sustained action in the areas of safety, security, justice, violence prevention and wellness.”
“The continued lack of reconcili-action shows the astonishing lack of progress towards ending the genocide of Indigenous Peoples in Canada,” said CAP.
“We’re also calling on Canada and all Indigenous organizations to stand together, remove political agendas, and immediately act to implement the Calls for Justice, directed to save the lives of Indigenous peoples,” says CAP National Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin.”CAP will continue to push Canada to take urgent MMIWG2S+ action and be accountable for ending this travesty.”
CAP stands behind these necessary Calls for Justice, as was identified within its own MMIWG National Action Plan released in 2022: Illuminating the Way: Beholding Power and Place
