Photo of The REDress Project at Acadia University in 2015 by Christine Rondeau.
The missing and murdered Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA people human-rights crisis disproportionately affects Indigenous peoples in Canada (and the United States). A 2014 RCMP report, titled “Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview” found that more than 1,000 Indigenous women were murdered over a span of 30 years. However, Indigenous leaders and activists believe that the number is much higher.
While the issue is widespread with numerous contributing factors, one of the most important steps is education and awareness. To better understand the issue, we encourage you to read, listen to or watch some of the following resources, especially the National Action Plan which covers practical steps to creating a safe future for Indigenous girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth.
MMIWG2S Resources
Books
Books: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
- Books about the systemic issues and individual profiles on missing and murdered individuals.
Podcasts
- Lisa Meeches shares 10 stories of missing or murdered women in hopes of bringing in new clues to help solve the cases.
- Connie Walker investigates the disappearance of Cleo Semaginis and murder of Alberta Williams in this in depth podcast.
Documentaries
Documentary: Why are Indigenous women missing in Canada?
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- Canada and Australia share a dark secret: in recent decades thousands of Indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing. What can Australia learn from Canada’s attempts to address the problem? (36 minutes)
Documentary: Our Sisters In Spirit
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- A short documentary that explores the question of calling a national public inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women & girls in Canada or whether there may be a better approach. (36 minutes)
Documentary: Highway of Tears ($1.99 to rent)
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- Narrated by Nathan Fillion, Matt Smiley’s hard-hitting documentary Highway of Tears not only movingly relates the personal stories of the victims, but investigates how the legacy of generational poverty, high unemployment and endemic violence in their communities contributed to their tragic fates — and how contemporary First Nations leaders are striving to cure those ills.
- This short documentary offers an Indigenous perspective on the devastating experience of searching for a loved one who has disappeared. (19 minutes)
Reports & Articles
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
- The 2021 National Action Plan is was developed to drive transformative change to end systemic racism and violence. Includes a link to a 2022 progress report on the process.
- 2,380 family members, survivors of violence, experts and Knowledge Keepers shared their experiences and wisdom in cross-country public hearings and evidence gathering over two years. The report delivers 231 individual Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries and all Canadians.
Red Women Rising – Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
- Shares powerful first-hand realities of violence, residential schools, colonization, land, resource extraction, family trauma, poverty, labour, housing, child welfare, being two-spirit, police, prisons, legal system, opioid crisis, healthcare, and more.
CBC Profiles: Missing or murdered women
- Read about 307 of the missing and murdered women including indepth profiles of cases closed, despite suspicious circumstances.