Overlooked: Police Non-Responsiveness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

1. “Shrugged off and brushed to the side”:Police (Non)Responsiveness to Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls 32nd Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice Halifax, Nova Scotia October 29, 2009

2. Outline • Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) • Sisters In Spirit (SIS) • SIS Education • SIS Policy • SIS Research • Sisters In Spirit Research Results • Stolen Sisters video • “Shrugged off and brushed to the side”: Police (Non)Responsiveness to Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls

3. The Native Women’s Association of Canada • Goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic and political well-being of Aboriginal women • Current membership of 11 Native women’s organizations across Canada, including the Nova ScotiaNative Women’s Association • Incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1974 • NWAC engages in national strategies aimed at legislative and policy reforms to promote equal opportunity for Aboriginal women

4. Sisters In Spirit • Multi-year research, education and policy initiative addressing violence against Aboriginal women, specifically the high numbers of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada • Better understand root causes of violence against Aboriginal women and identify measures to increase safety and well-being • Honour women and girls who have been lost to violence and remember those still missing

5. Sisters In Spirit Education • Sisters In Spirit Vigils: “What are you doing on October 4th?” • 72 Vigils in 2009 across Canada • 40 Vigils in 2008 • 30 Vigils in 2007 • 11 Vigils in 2006 • 10 Community Engagement Workshops across Canada each year • 4 community education tool kits • Navigating the Missing Persons Process • Unlocking the Mystery of Media Relations • Raising Awareness • Safety Measures for Aboriginal Women

6. Sisters In Spirit Policy • Reduction of violence • Economic security • Access to justice • Reduction of the impact/number of children in the child welfare system

7. Sisters In Spirit Research • Sharing, caring, trust and strength • Community-based approach • Research for change process • Families are the experts; collaborative, reciprocal process between equal partners • Methodology privileges the experiences of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, girls and their families • Storytelling • SIS database • Limitations of research

8. Cases in Canada

9. Missing or Murdered

10. Age

11. Family Size

12. Years of Incidents

13. Clearance of Murder Cases 52% of cases cleared 43% of cases not cleared 5% unknown

14. Stolen Sisters (FahrenheitFilms & Global) video clip

15. “Shrugged off and brushed to the side”: Police (non)Responsiveness to Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls • Where We Have Been • Background and Literature Review • Where We Are • Analysis of families of missing and murdered women’s stories about their experiences with police • Where We Will Go • Discussion and Conclusion

16. Methodology • “How do police respond to families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls?” • Discourse analysis • 15 stories shared by families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls • Limitations: • Differences between policing agencies • Scope of interviews with families • Changing perceptions over time

17. Where We Have Been • Murder a “new” issue for Aboriginal peoples/communities • Colonization • History of mistrust in Aboriginal-police relations • “Historic” & “Modern” • Aboriginal women’s perception of police • Racial profiling in policing

18. Where We Are • Frustration. Apathy. Fear. Distrust. Anger. • Racism and Stereotypes • “A Rough Time” • Communication

19. Where We Are • Missing Persons Process • Searches • Positive Police Practices • Kind. Non-judgmental. Caring. Helpful.

20. Racism and Stereotypes • “Drunken Indian” stereotype • “Out partying” • “She liked to party too much!” and she was a “Native Indian and known alcohol and crack addict” • Pictures of empty beer bottles • Perceptions of racism • Difference for Aboriginal women • Just “another dead Indian” • Despite being Aboriginal…

21. “A Rough Time” • Strained relationships between police and families • “Do you know how many women go missing downtown?” • Just a number • Myths • Wait one week to report disappearance • Police will wait 48 hours to take action • Affecting case outcomes • Discouraged access to police service • False promises of media publicity

22. Communication • 8 families received at least one update • Half received regular updates • Minimum standards • Family’s persistence • One-sided • Language barriers • 2 families never received an update • 3 families felt police ignored them

23. Missing Persons Process • 2 missing persons reports accepted immediately • 6 missing persons reports not accepted immediately • “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found” • Could not file as an adopted daughter • “Trying to brush me off” • “Accepted” report—but didn’t take it seriously • “You will find her before we will” • “She’ll come home on her own” • 2 weeks to 7 months for real action

24. Searches • 8 families searched for their missing loved one • 4 families never had police-led search • “Give us some time or give us a place to look” • 2 families made and distributed their own missing persons posters • 4 families conducted interviews • 5 families organized their own ground searches • Communities stood in solidarity with families

25. Positive Police Practices • Police honoured family’s request • Work with a female, First Nation officer • Police come to family home in plain clothing • Police secure prime-time media coverage for missing woman • Officers worked overtime without pay to find and charge murderers • Dedicated officers promise to persevere on unsolved cases • Police helped murdered woman’s son attend court proceedings while in custody • Police introduced family to victim services • Kind. Non-judgmental. Caring. Helpful.

26. Where We Will Go • Violence against Aboriginal women requires immediate public attention • Barriers must be addressed and overcome • Listening to communities and families is key • Decolonization and reclaiming our ways of being • Change on the horizon • Saskatoon Police Service • Families push for justice for their mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters

27. Migwetch! Wela’lin! Thank you! Merci!