Indigenous Women In Canada

The issue leading into the October Federal Election in Canada that I have chosen is the issue about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. This issue is and should be important to me and other citizens as we Canadians pride ourselves with our image of progressive tolerance. However, the alarming number of Indigenous women and girls attacked due to their ethnicities in this country contradicts this idea of Canada. The treatment of Indigenous peoples is the most shameful part of Canadian History. Canadians of the past have stripped the Indigenous peoples of their land and culture and now decades of Canadian government policies have impoverished and harmed Indigenous families and communities. Thus, the issue about missing and murdered …show more content…
As I am an East Asian girl living in a country where I am ethnic minority, I can relate to (albeit on a much smaller scale) the prejudice they face on a day to day basis. For example, Indigenous peoples are stereotyped as “drunken, stoic warriors” while East Asians are viewed as “identical, studious, and horrid drivers.” Both these archetypes strip our ethnic groups of their individuality. Also, as a female the topic women’s rights, or lack thereof, resonated with me. I understand the fears of walking alone on the streets in the late hours, yet Indigenous women and girls are still roughly three times more likely to be a victim of a violent crime than I am. Whatever prejudice I face or fears, life for Indigenous peoples in Canada is much crueler. Thus, I am interested in this issue as I can empathize with the injustices Indigenous peoples face. I can either fight for their rights or sit and watch as we Canadians practically kill off an entire ethnic …show more content…
The provincial governments are supporting the recent calling for a National Inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and are providing financial assistance for relatives of homicide victims. They are demonstrating that they do in fact value the lives of Indigenous peoples by finally taking action and providing them the help that they need. While the municipal governments are not acting on this issue as municipalities have a greater range of Indigenous peoples than provinces do. So, while the provincial governments are handling the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the municipal governments are