To: All Local Representatives from across Canada, from First Nations Governments to All Federal Representatives, All Provincial Representatives, and Municipalities

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals in Canada. From 2015 to 2023, the homicide rates for Indigenous women, who represent only 4.3% of the Canadian population, increased by 1% each year. In 2015, 16% of all reported female homicide victims were Indigenous women, and by 2023, this number had risen to 24%. This overrepresentation highlights the urgent need for systemic changes to address the root causes of systemic violence against Indigenous women immediately.

Therefore, we call on our representatives to:

1. Fully and swiftly implement the 231 Calls for Justice from the MMIWG-FFADA final report to address systemic colonial violence.
2. Establish independent oversight bodies to ensure accountability and transparency within the police force.
3. Increase funding and support for community-led initiatives, shelters, mental health services, and other essential programs for Indigenous women and girls to be protected from continued colonial harm.
4. Implement comprehensive anti-racism training for all police officers and justice system personnel. Collect and publish gender and race-based data to identify and address disparities.
5. Foster open and respectful dialogues with Indigenous communities to understand their needs and collaborate on solutions.
6. Review the United Nations' findings on Canada and take steps to eliminate the sexist parts of the Indian Act that discriminate against Indigenous women. This includes removing legal provisions that do not recognize equal rights between women and men and ensuring Indigenous women can fully transmit their status.

We also call for:

7. Comprehensive boat checks at all key ports along the Canadian and US shores of the Great Lakes to combat sex trafficking. Target ports for enhanced boat checks include Superior, WI / Duluth, MN; Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON; Hamilton, ON; and Thunder Bay, ON. By strengthening inter-agency cooperation and increasing funding for boat inspections, patrols, and officer training, we can ensure coordinated efforts between Canadian and US law enforcement and
8. Take decisive action to eliminate sex trafficking along the Highway 401 corridor in Ontario, a known hotspot for traffickers. This includes implementing increased camera surveillance, strengthening law enforcement coordination, and enforcing strict legal actions against solicitors. Provide comprehensive support services for trafficking survivors, including safe housing, medical care, and counseling.

By signing this petition, we express our solidarity with Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+, and our commitment to advocating for justice and equality. Through concerted action and vigilance, we can make our waters safer, eliminate sex trafficking corridors, and take significant steps towards eradicating the scourge of criminality in the Great Lakes and on Canadian highway corridors, potentially, we can reduce the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women by taking the above systemic actions. Join us in calling on all levels of Government in Canada to take immediate and decisive actions to protect vulnerable Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+, and to uphold the safety and integrity of our Communities. We urge our representatives to address root causes and support the end of systemic colonial gender and genocidal violence against Indigenous women.

Please share this petition with your community members who are over 18 years of age and encourage others to sign it. Together, our collective voice can make a difference in supporting and improving equal rights for Indigenous women and girls, creating safer spaces for their fight for justice and equality in Canada. Let’s not wait for another year to pass before we witness Indigenous women's homicide rates rise by another 1% in Canada. End Colonial State Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls & 2SLGBTQI+.

Miigwech