From the First Nations people of “Canada” to the Inuit of the Arctic Circle, Turtle Island or the North “American” continent without borders: the land, air, water, animal relatives and Indigenous people are suffering from a violent 500+ year colonial history.
It is a reality that delves deep into the heart of a legacy predominated by patriarchal control and a conquered landscape. One of the most difficult and continual issues Indigenous People face is the extremely high rate of missing and murdered people. Indigenous People go missing at a rate 10 times the national average, with 2SLGBTQAI+ women and youth at the most risk. Beyond data, Indigenous people live with this reality in our hearts, minds, spirits and bodies.
The Missing and Murdered epidemic is so much, that it touches the lives of all Indigenous People. Perhaps the most devastating reality is Native People are often not found once they go missing, an experience that can crumble communities and take generations to heal from.
[2sLGBTQAI+ – Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, Questioning, Asexual, and Intersex+]