Latest news with #NationalInquiryintoMissingandMurderedIndigenousWomenandGirls
CBC
05-05-2025
- CBC
Organizer hopes Red Dress Day event will put N.B. cases in 'spotlight'
Social Sharing Natasha Ward of Metepenagiag hopes a local commemoration of Red Dress Day will remind people of missing and murdered Indigenous women from right here in New Brunswick, including Erin Brooks. Ward has organized an event on Tuesday in Saint John at the Boys and Girls Club to commemorate the annual day of remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Brooks of Sitansisk First Nation, also known as St. Mary's, has been missing for more than three years and her mother Laurie Brooks will attend this year's event. Ward said that she "wanted to get Erin's case back in the spotlight" and "give support back to Laurie." Police have said that Brooks was likely the victim of a homicide. "You read about it, you see it on TV, and you know, you feel bad for these people, but you don't truly understand until you have to go through it yourself," said Amy Paul, Brooks's sister. "It is awful." Brooks, a mother of four, would have celebrated her 40th birthday this year, said her mother. When asked about the case, Ward said it's heart-wrenching "but I just want her to know that we're here to support her and we'll be there with her." She said the case "seems like it's at a standstill" so she wants to "put her face out there, put the case out there," and try to get it back in the spotlight. The value of a life "When you see the red dresses hanging in the trees, it's very haunting, it catches your attention," Ward said. "It helps to call back the spirits of our loved ones." She also said the red handprint Indigenous women often wear on their faces represents the silencing they encounter. Ward was moved to get involved in Red Dress Day when a controversy about missing women erupted in Manitoba, she said. The provincial government and police initially refused to search a Winnipeg-area landfill after learning that a serial killer may have dumped the bodies of missing Indigenous women there. "Our lives are not put at the same value as others," Ward said. "When the landfill cases came out, it really affected me as an Indigenous woman to be disregarded like that and the fight that was put out there to not search for these women was insane," she said. "Mothers were begging to have this landfill search." When the landfill was searched, the remains of three women were found. Buffalo Woman, or Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, was an unknown victim until she was identified as Ashlee Shingoose of St. Theresa Point First Nation in March. Red Dress Day has been observed on May 5 since 2010 as a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Ward said that she wants people to "get familiar with the 231 calls to justice" and have a better understanding of the issues that Indigenous people face, such as inter-generational trauma. These calls for justice are laid out in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report. The document outlining the calls for justice is available on the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls website. When the inquiry issued the calls for justice, it included a demand for a national action plan to deal with violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people, and a system of annual reporting on the plan's progress. Ward said she organized Tuesday's event in Saint John to keep the issue on the front burner.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Organizer hopes Red Dress Day event will put N.B. cases in 'spotlight'
Natasha Ward of Metepenagiag hopes a local commemoration of Red Dress Day will remind people of missing and murdered Indigenous women from right here in New Brunswick, including Erin Brooks. Ward has organized an event on Tuesday in Saint John at the Boys and Girls Club to commemorate the annual day of remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Brooks of Sitansisk First Nation, also known as St. Mary's, has been missing for more than three years and her mother Laurie Brooks will attend this year's event. Ward said that she "wanted to get Erin's case back in the spotlight" and "give support back to Laurie." Police have said that Brooks was likely the victim of a homicide. "You read about it, you see it on TV, and you know, you feel bad for these people, but you don't truly understand until you have to go through it yourself," said Amy Paul, Brooks's sister. "It is awful." Brooks, a mother of four, would have celebrated her 40th birthday this year, said her mother. When asked about the case, Ward said it's heart-wrenching "but I just want her to know that we're here to support her and we'll be there with her." She said the case "seems like it's at a standstill" so she wants to "put her face out there, put the case out there," and try to get it back in the spotlight. "When you see the red dresses hanging in the trees, it's very haunting, it catches your attention," Ward said. "It helps to call back the spirits of our loved ones." She also said the red handprint Indigenous women often wear on their faces represents the silencing they encounter. Ward was moved to get involved in Red Dress Day when a controversy about missing women erupted in Manitoba, she said. The provincial government and police initially refused to search a Winnipeg-area landfill after learning that a serial killer may have dumped the bodies of missing Indigenous women there. "Our lives are not put at the same value as others," Ward said. "When the landfill cases came out, it really affected me as an Indigenous woman to be disregarded like that and the fight that was put out there to not search for these women was insane," she said. "Mothers were begging to have this landfill search." When the landfill was searched, the remains of three women were found. Buffalo Woman, or Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, was an unknown victim until she was identified as Ashlee Shingoose of St. Theresa Point First Nation in March. Red Dress Day has been observed on May 5 since 2010 as a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Ward said that she wants people to "get familiar with the 231 calls to justice" and have a better understanding of the issues that Indigenous people face, such as inter-generational trauma. These calls for justice are laid out in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report. The document outlining the calls for justice is available on the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls website. When the inquiry issued the calls for justice, it included a demand for a national action plan to deal with violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people, and a system of annual reporting on the plan's progress. Ward said she organized Tuesday's event in Saint John to keep the issue on the front burner. "The more that we hold these awareness sessions and get the word out there and educate people, the bigger it will become," she said.
CBC
05-05-2025
- CBC
What is something that you learned about MMIWG2S+ on Red Dress Day?
You tell us CONTENT WARNING: This story contains information about violence against Indigenous people. Consider reading it with a trusted adult. It's common to have an emotional reaction to the news. Every month, we take a deep dive into a topic that's been making headlines in a series called KN Explains. We then ask you to Have Your Say by sharing your own experiences and opinions. Fill out the form to submit your answer to this month's question. Then check again next week to see if your thoughts are featured. What is something that you learned about MMIWG2S+ on Red Dress Day? That is our question for you this month. MMIWG2S+ stands for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. In 2016, the federal government launched an inquiry, or investigation, to try to find solutions to why this group has faced an increased rate of violence. This inquiry came as a result of years of protests and advocacy by families of victims. According to commissioners who led the inquiry, the violence and injustice Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people face is a 'national crisis.' In 2019, the commissioners of the inquiry, known as the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, published their final report. They suggested 231 calls for justice to help put an end to the crisis. We want to know: What is something you learned from watching the video that you didn't know before? Tell us what new pieces of information stood out to you. Share your thoughts with CBC Kids News. Want to know more before you answer? Check out these other articles on MMIWG2S+ and Red Dress Day: Red Dress Day: What it is and how it began What's being done to help missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls? Boys commit to ending violence against women through Moose Hide Campaign You can read the answers to the last Have Your Say question here: Do you need support? Individuals impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls are encouraged to contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649. Kids can also call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868. Have more questions? Want to tell us how we're doing? Use the 'send us feedback' link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Will Canadian PM Carney Maintain His Anti-Trump Messaging Post-Election?
News Analysis Prime Minister Mark Carney was elected after running a campaign heavily focused on saying U.S. President Donald Trump poses an existential threat to Canada, but it remains to be seen whether this messaging will continue now that the election has passed. The Liberals tapped heavily into rising nationalist sentiment in Canada, caused by Trump's talk of making the country the 51st U.S. state and by the imposition of three different sets of tariffs on its largest trading partner. Stoking patriotism had not been a major card of the Liberals under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had started his mandate in 2015 by More criticism of the country came later with the growing influence of social justice ideology in government. Trudeau accepted the 'genocide' finding of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2019, and vowed to root out 'systemic racism' in Canada after the murder of George Floyd in the United States in 2020. Trudeau also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for more than five months in 2021 in response to claims by some First Nations of ground-penetrating radar pointing to the possibility of unmarked graves at former residential schools. So far no excavations have found remains. During this period, statues of Canada's founding father John A. Macdonald were toppled, removed, or hidden. He was also cancelled from Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/29/2025 This critical perspective on Canada's history and current society was absent as the Liberals focused their campaign on national pride and sovereignty following Trump's 51st state comments. 'A new Liberal government will never cower to President Trump's attacks on Canada. In this kind of crisis, protecting Canada's identity is part of securing Canada,' Carney declared during the campaign. With the new mandate secured, now comes the daunting task of entering negotiations with the Trump administration on the most pressing issue of trade, but also on security and defence. It remains to be seen if Trump will continue his comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state after the election and during the negotiations. He raised it on election day April 28 on his Truth Social platform, but didn't issue a post after the election. Carney had also maintained his anti-Trump messaging until the very end of campaign, repeating in his victory speech his slogan that 'Trump is trying to break us, so that America can own us.' Trump congratulated Carney on his election win on April 29. During an April 30 cabinet meeting, Trump called Carney a 'very nice gentleman' and said he would come to the White House 'very shortly, within the next week.' Referring to Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Trump added, 'They both hated Trump, and it was the one that hated Trump I think the least that won.' Is it Over? A Liberal strategist told The Epoch Times in an interview he expects Carney to change his messaging post-election with negotiations looming. 'I don't believe that particular messaging around the relationship with the United States being 'over' will remain a major theme of the prime minister's communications efforts,' said Charles Bird, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. Carney said on the campaign trail and in his victory speech that Canada's 'old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over.' Bird added, however, there is 'more than a bit of truth' to the assertion that the old relationship between Canada and the United States is over and that it's understandable people have concluded that the southern neighbour is 'not a reliable partner.' 'But there's little to be gained on the part of the government in making the point repeatedly that we no longer regard you as the close ally we once did,' said Bird, who added he thinks the emphasis will instead be placed on finding ways the two countries can work together effectively. This had been the core message of the Liberal government in public and in private after Trump was elected and before the Canadian general election, as it sought to avoid the punitive tariffs. Stephen LeDrew, former Liberal Party president, also believes there's no incentive for Carney to maintain an adversarial approach to the United States. 'I don't think that Canadians would accept that the relationship is over,' LeDrew told The Epoch Times in an interview. He said Americans he has spoken with also value the relationship with Canada and want to work together. LeDrew said that in any case, Trump is 'holding all the cards' and there isn't going to be a 'huge policy initiative' from the Liberal government on how to deal with Trump. 'Why would Carney do that? I think Carney is busy making his own government, getting things to run better, and he will deal with Trump when Trump starts to squawk again.'
CBC
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Nova Scotia extends paid leave for domestic violence victims
Nova Scotia is extending the amount of time a person can take off work, with pay, if they're experiencing domestic violence. The Tory government is changing the Labour Standards Code so that employers will have to provide five paid days of leave, up from three. The change takes effect April 1. The regulation defines domestic violence as an act of abuse that can be physical, sexual, emotional or psychological. It can include coercion, stalking, harassment or financial control, or it can be a threat of such abuse. The perpetrator could be a current or former intimate partner, a relative or someone who lives with them. Kristina Fifield, a registered social worker and trauma therapist who specializes in intimate partner violence, says the extra days are a step in the right direction, but she'd like to see more. "I think we need to look at reimagining how survivors are supported in workplaces across our province," she said in an interview. "Paid domestic violence leave and intimate partner violence leave is one part of it, but I think that employers in our province can do a lot more in supporting survivors and victims that are going through this." Fifield said she'd like to see 10 or more paid days, as well as accommodations such as allowing people to work from home or another location. She said employers need to acknowledge that people might not "be at their best at work" while they deal with the trauma of abuse. She said it's up to the government to enshrine more support in government regulation and policy, and up to employers to work on improving workplace cultures. Labour Minister Nolan Young refused to do an interview at Province House. A news release from his department said the decision was made after consultation with unions, advocacy groups and other community partners. It said the change aligns with an NDP bill that passed with all-party support last year declaring domestic violence an epidemic, as well as recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission, the Lionel Desmond fatality inquiry and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Fifield was at Province House on Wednesday prior to the announcement about paid leave because she was participating in a rally against gender-based violence. About 50 people gathered at Halifax Regional Police headquarters and marched to Province House. Organizers said they want "an urgent, epidemic-level response" to gender-based violence, a long-standing issue that has seen a recent spike. Intimate partner violence deaths In a period of just three months, six women in Nova Scotia were killed by their male partners. In the wake of those deaths, advocates have been calling for stable, core funding for organizations that support victims of intimate partner violence. Fifield reiterated that Wednesday, and added that more intervention and prevention work is required. "We need core curriculum from P to 12, also incorporating that education, awareness and prevention in universities and colleges and into workplaces." Also Wednesday, New Democrats tabled a bill that would establish a new fund for organizations that address gender-based violence. The money would pay for things such as shelters, transition second-stage housing, women's centres, advocacy campaigns and prevention initiatives. Speaking during debate on the bill in the legislature, Leah Martin, the Tory minister in charge of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, said there is plenty of work underway to address gender-based violence. "We have come light-years from the days when women suffered in silence," she said. Martin highlighted a $7-million bump to funding for transition houses and women's centres last year, and said the government will continue working with groups that address the issue.
