Legacy of Hope Foundation Honours and Acknowledges the Inquiry of the MMIWG and its Final Report
Ottawa, ON) June 6, 2019 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) would like to acknowledge and honour all of the Commissioners, the staff, the Elders and Knowledge-Keepers, as well as the Survivors, families, and communities who participated to bring this inquiry to its conclusion. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was launched in 2016, running for three years to produce its Final Report, released on Monday, June 3, 2019.
The report identifies a genocidal process that is empowered through colonial structures as a root cause for the disturbing numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada as well as the Indigenous Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (2SLGBTQQIA) community. The contributing colonial structures that have contributed to the Genocide include the Indian Act, generations of Indigenous Peoples attending Residential Schools, children being apprehended in what is known as the Sixties Scoop, along with generations of oppression and racism and other human rights’ violations experienced by Indigenous Peoples, particularly women.
Most importantly, the Report points to a way forward for action, including many Calls for Justice. The authors of the report note that recommendations may be too mild a term. They urge their Calls for Justice to be seen as, “legal imperatives – they are not optional.” These calls touch upon many aspects of society. The LHF makes special note of the calls relating to Education. Under Calls for Educators, number 11.1, the authors, “call upon all elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions and education authorities to educate and provide awareness to the public about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and about the issues and root causes of violence they experience.” Under Calls for Justice for All Canadians, number 15.2, they call upon all Canadians to “decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.”
Education is an essential tool to move society towards healthier relationships and structures. By gaining awareness and education on the colonializing past and present, all Canadians will be better informed to take meaningful action that strives for healthy, and respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. This is why it is vital that topics and courses on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit be made mandatory in public schools K-12. Knowledge about Indigenous Peoples needs to become common knowledge. The LHF encourages educational leadership across Canada to implement these calls to justice immediately and is ready to support schools with its resources.
The Legacy of Hope Foundation is a national Indigenous charitable organization whose purposes are to educate, raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of Residential Schools, including the Sixties Scoop and the intergenerational harms caused to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. LHF aims to support the ongoing healing process of Survivors and their families and to work with Canadians to take action that will promote Reconciliation.
Media Contact Information:
Teresa Edwards, B.A. JD.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Phone: 613-237-4806 Ext. 303 info@legacyofhope.ca