Lucy Kuptana: 5th Anniversary of the Release of the Final Report of National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

June 4, 2024

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the 5th anniversary of the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Final Report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people as genocide, and delivers 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, here in the Northwest Territories, where half of the population is Indigenous, we are all too familiar with the harmful effects of colonialism. From the era of residential schools to the decades of tuberculosis and the 60’s Scoop, we are either survivors of the trauma or know someone who is.

Mr. Speaker, many Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in the NWT and across Canada, continue to experience violence in the home, workplace and within their community, and they continue to go missing. In the NWT, there are currently 80 active missing persons cases. As I speak here today, Frank Gruben, who went missing from Fort Smith in May 2023, still has not been found. I call on anyone with information that could help find Frank Gruben, to step forward to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Mr. Speaker, since the release of the Final Report, the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken steps to begin to affect change so that Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people can feel safe, valued, supported, and honoured in every community. In response to the Call for Justice, the GNWT is implementing its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Action Plan, tabled in November 2022.

One of the actions identified in the plan is to look at how our government is responding to violence directed at Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, recognizing that partnership is key in building trust with Indigenous residents and communities. In the next three years, we will be designing new foster care models to help break cycles of gender-based violence for children and youth as well as conducting a feasibility study on developing a NWT restorative justice model to support survivors of family violence.

Mr. Speaker, as part of our government’s response to the National Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence, we have signed a four-year funding agreement to implement a whole-of-government response to ending gender-based violence, family violence, and intimate partner violence. Our interdepartmental approach involves working closely with Indigenous governments and non-profit organizations to coordinate activities, which include contributing more funding to family violence shelters and community organizations.

Mr. Speaker, work has also advanced on establishing an MMIWG Advisory Committee, which will provide advice and guidance to this government on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls-related matters. It will be a pathway for communities to provide input into programs and services to ensure they reflect, and address community needs and aspirations as they relate to the Calls for Justice. The draft Terms of Reference for this committee have been developed with input from Indigenous governments, key stakeholders, and other community partners. Once the Terms of Reference are finalized, organizations will be able to put forward their committee members for appointment. The intent is to have this Advisory Committee in place by Fall 2024.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is dedicated to ending violence directed at Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. We will do this by implementing the action plan using a whole-of-government approach, while working with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Advisory Committee to guide this work. I will look to the Legislative Assembly to continue to collaborate with our community partners to develop solutions that are reasonable, effective, and sustainable and by continuously striving to do better.

An annual report on the implementation of the Action Plan is being prepared and will be posted on the GNWT’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls webpage by the end of June 2024.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is committed to working with all Northerners and partners across Canada to address systemic causes of violence, inequality, and racism so that Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people can feel safe and empowered in their communities, in the NWT and across Canada.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

NT4