MMIWG & SOCIAL CULTURE

#AmINext?

"As long as we're talking about it, that's way further than we were last year."

Holly Jarrett, 2014

In Canada, an estimated 1,100-4,000 Indigenous women are currently missing or have been found murdered. These lost sisters are making an impact on Canada. Although this is still occurring, the media is not providing much coverage. People are beginning to create trends in order to bring attention to the issue. In 2014, Holly Jarrett began the hashtag #AmINext in order to create more conversation about the topic. Jarrett is an Indigenous woman from Hamilton, Ontario and is the cousin of Loretta Saunders. She created the hashtag in hopes that the campaign will call action into the national investigation of these missing women.

VISIBILITY IN MEDIA

Although Indigenous women have been going missing for years, the media coverage on this issue has been sparse. Many activists have claimed this is due to the fact that the women are of aboriginal descent. A white woman is more likely to be shown on the news rather than a woman of colour. According to the Department Of Indigenous & Northern Affairs, Indigenous women are five times more likely to experience a violent death than other Canadian woman. In other studies conducted, there shows a correlation between race and lack of visibility within the media. Women of colour are commonly portrayed as predators or criminals, if shown on the news at all. This lack of visibility causes these minorities to have no voice and causes their issues to be swept under the rug. It wasn't until 2016 that the Canadian government finally decided to take a stance on the missing aboriginal women. Although this has begun, there is still lack of articles and resources surrounding the actual inquiry itself.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?

Learn More

"[...]“Highway of Tears”: an 800 kilometer stretch of highway in British Columbia where more than a dozen young women have disappeared since 1994. The same thing had happened before in the same place – almost twenty young women disappeared or were killed there between the late Sixties and the early Eighties – but until recently these crimes have received little media attention, perhaps because the majority of victims have been Aboriginal women." Adriana Rolston, 2010

In August 2016, the Canadian government announced a 2 year

national inquiry into the missing Indigenous women. The investigation will go from

September 2016 -

December 2018.

In Toronto, the REDress project was put on by the University of Toronto.

In order to gain attention surrounding missing aboriginal women, Jamie Black created this project in 2010 and has toured to different universities all over Canada.

$53.8 million dollar budget
10% spent by February 2017
Hearings will begin in spring
Won't be a "western courtroom"

(taken from Amnesty international)

Take a pledge to end violence
Write a letter to Canadian Govn. about funding
Collect signatures
Host a screening of "Highway of Tears"
Attending Oct. 4 vigil

Amensty International

click on the dress

to learn more

about the

project!

Following the inquiry, the Canadian government has set up a website in order to provide support, resources and information about the missing Indigenous women of Canada. Families are offered support and are encouraged to share their stories and news is updated frequently. This website offers important information to families and offers legal support, employment options, newsletters, etc. This site proves to be one that is constantly changing and offering the most up to date information.

Visit the Website

REFERENCES

*all social media images are taken from "#AmINext aims to raise awareness about murdered aboriginal women".

Baum, Kathryn Blaze. "Nine Things to Know about the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women." The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

Beeston, Laura. "Red Dresses a Visual Reminder of Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women." Thestar.com. The Star, 21 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

Gilchrist, Kristen. "“NEWSWORTHY” VICTIMS? Exploring differences in Canadian local press coverage of missing/murdered Aboriginal and White women" Feminist Media Studies. Feminist Media Studies. 2010. Web. 31 March 2017.

Krishnan, Manisha. "Here's What the Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry Is Missing." Vice. Vice, 03 Aug. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

Narine, Shari. "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls." Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls | Windspeaker - AMMSA. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

News, CBC. "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry Launches New Website."CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 20 Dec. 2016. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

Talaga, Tanya. "Indigenous Boys, Men Issues to Be Added to National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Women, Girls." Thestar.com. The Toronto Star, 02 Feb. 2017. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

Thomson, Aly. "#AmINext Aims to Raise Awareness about Murdered Aboriginal Women."CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 30 March. 2017.

"Media Portrayals of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women." Media Portrayals of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women. Media Smarts, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.