Sad, disheartened, and in disbelief are all feelings I have experienced while beginning my journey towards finding the truth and reaching reconciliation. Throughout my years in the education system, I have learned a lot about Canada’s dark history. Every time I thought I knew all I could, I was presented with new information; this proves our journey towards reconciliation is never over, and there’s always more to learn. In my grade twelve years, I was introduced to the crisis I now know to be identified as “Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.”  I was shocked that it was my first time hearing about such a huge issue; there was no news or media coverage and nothing represented in my years of education until my last year of high school. I’ve continued to educate myself and others on this topic and even explained to my daycare kids, where I work, the importance of wearing red on May 5th. It is important to note that May 5th is the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. On May 5th, the children in the daycare program sat in a circle, and each made a variation of red dresses to honor those who were missing or those whose lives were taken. 

I recently stumbled across a TED talk by Sophie Kiwala titled “Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls, a Canadian Responsibility.” In the video, Sophie states, “it is undeniable that institutional and individual racism, sexism, poverty, addiction, insecure housing and lack of economic opportunity increase Indigenous Women’s vulnerability to violence.” It is essential to understand why Indigenous Women and Girls are being targeted to make a sufficient change. In an article published by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, many facts on the crisis are still prominent to this day. Some recent points that I found shocking include ” Indigenous women are more worried about domestic violence than they are most COVID-19 issues.” (NWAC, pg.1). I found this surprising because while everyone was worried about vaccinations and trying to find a sense of normalcy in our lives during the worldwide pandemic, a high percentage of Indigenous women were still fighting for their lives at home in lockdown. I personally struggled during lockdown with my mental health, having high anxiety due to isolation; I couldn’t even imagine how women in abusive relationships would feel in that type of situation. Something else I found while looking into this topic was a textbook quote that states, ” Statistics consistently show that rates of violence against Métis, Inuit, and First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people are much higher than for non-Indigenous women in Canada, even when all over differentiating factors are accounted for. Perpetrators of violence include Indigenous and non-Indigenous family members and partners, casual acquaintances, and serial killers.” (National Inquiry, Pg.3)  After reading this statistic, I decided to investigate further and search the percentage of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women to date. The results I found were shocking, to say the least, stating, “Indigenous women are three times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be victims of violence.” (Turner, pg.1).

I have spoken a lot about the violence Indigenous women endure and have provided many statistics to support my research, but let’s talk about why it is crucial to learn about this topic. I wouldn’t have known that this movement existed if I hadn’t taken Indigenous studies (by choice). I had multiple electives to choose from in high school but thought it was imperative to learn about the past and advocate for its wrongdoings. My passion has grown for teaching the older and younger generations the importance of history and creating a better, more inclusive future alongside one another. Nothing can change when we have unhealed traumas and wounds and stay silent about the past that has haunted many for generations. I want to share one final quote that I found compelling from the article “Shattering the Silence.” It comes from Cheif Councilor Charlie Cootes. The quote states, “Today, the children and grandchildren of those who went to residential schools also live with the same legacy of broken families, broken culture, and broken spirit.” (Niessen, Pg.4). Until we heal past traumas, the cycle will continue to damage future communities for years to come; we must break the silence.

My journey towards reconciliation started with learning about how Indigenous people lived pre-contact using the whole animal and utilizing the natural world around them for things like buffalo jumps; we learned about the fur trade and everything that came post-contact. We touched on medicine wheels, how Indigenous people made and used tools, and even how they made teepees.  In high school, my education grew extensively; we started learning all the negatives that came from the fur trade, we talked about the years of abuse and how cyclical the damage has been. Now that I am in my second year of university, I have learned that even our education system is colonialized. However, I now feel like bringing attention to how the colonial-based systems will help me make a change. Though I know I have a lot to learn and a long way to go, I’m excited to see where this journey takes me; reconciliation can be beautiful. I know that it is just as important to keep learning as it is to keep sharing knowledge. While working on this project, I had many ideas on what I wanted to share with my peers; I have gathered so much information since the beginning of my schooling. Though it was tough to choose to represent Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, I feel as though it is a highly underrepresented topic.  We don’t talk about the brutal truths of the many missing Indigenous Woman in Canada. If I hadn’t taken that grade, twelve class, I would have been unaware of the actual crisis that Canada faces daily that is seemingly swept under the rug time after time.  In my poster, I chose to incorporate several red handprints; this is the official symbol representing Missing Women and Girls. It is a handprint because it represents all the Women and Girls who have been silenced for so long. I have placed a large medicine wheel in the middle; this is to symbolize relationships. We know that a lot of healing needs to be done to mend these broken relationships. The medicine wheel also represents knowledge and learning, which we as Canadians need to continue to do. The medicine wheel is also significant to me because it is one of the first things I learned about Indigenous culture; each color brings to light such importance of their beliefs.  Using the color wheel, I have personally improved my life in physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental ways. The color wheel symbolizes holism and the different aspects of life in a cyclical manner; I make sure to nourish myself in all four elements to create a happy and healthy lifestyle. I am so thankful that I get the chance to work towards reconciliation each and every day, I am excited to see what the future will hold.