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June 3, 2019
Unifor stands united with the families of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and calls on all levels of government to take immediate action on the recommendations issued today in the final report of the National Inquiry.
Canada is in debt to the countless witnesses and MMIWG families who contributed to the report, which would not have been possible without their resilience and courage. Their efforts were traumatic and selfless, and they deserve continued and ongoing support as part of the reconciliation process. This also includes families who could not participate because the experience would have been too difficult.
The Inquiry’s Commissioners have carefully laid out a comprehensive set of recommendations that must be acted upon to end a cycle of violence that was founded from the beginning of colonialism and perpetuated by successive governments and institutions.
Testimony and research has made clear that the experience of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual peoples is truly that of a Canadian genocide. Therefore, with this Indigenous-led list of solutions, continued government inaction to end violence constitutes an endorsement of genocide.
The publication of the Inquiry’s final report is an important turning point towards justice, truth, and reconciliation.
In its role as Canada’s largest union in the private sector, Unifor commits to taking action to build Indigenous power through supporting Indigenous organizers and members taking action to build community and preserve cultures, language, and tradition. We will continue our long history of working against gender-based violence and ensure this work includes an indigenous lens. Through unions, we can build spaces for Indigenous workers to self-organize and make real change.
