🍁 “my grandma taught me the true spirit of the maple leaf, and it is in her honour I now defend it!” 🍁
Indigenous people, women in particular, are the most at risk for not having their complaints taken seriously by police, and are often victims of violence.
This however is not a recent phenomenon.
Colonization was justifiable because it was viewed as being “temporary” and for the better good, and yet we can still see colonialism and colonizing forces all around us today.
Indigenous people are the most vulnerable group to the current structures built on the same structures imposed by settler colonialism.
This can take the form of:
-Indigenous peoples across North America have been taken from their homes/their reserves/their families being normalized (through residential schools, abducted indigenous “indentured servants,” )
—> And then ignoring the lingering effects of this (intergenerational trauma)
-Exposure to racism (aggression , violence, harassment, micro aggressions etc.) which then becomes acceptable to certain groups, or leads to a sense of moral ambiguity “what can I do about it?”/“What can really be done about it?”
-Indigenous complaints not being taken seriously by the police, or the public.
—> “Well what did they do to get this reaction?”
—> “What did you do to prevent this from happening?”
—> “Are you sure they’re missing and not a runaway/on a bender?”
—> “Are you sure you need treatment, or are you under the influence?”
—> “They deserve this due to x,y,z.”/“Well, this is being done to them because of x,y,z.”
These occurrences cannot just be chalked up to a few bad people, or “bad apples” these actions were being done by representatives of our community in the past, and continue to be done by representatives of our community, and tolerated by the community.
The police ignoring complaints, or indigenous seeking help is not something new, or foreign. (Failures of protection, early dismissal/rejection of case, etc)
The police being a harmful force in regards to indigenous people is nothing new.
—> “starlight” tours, mistreatment of indigenous people with no disciplinary action or write-ups on offending police officer, purpose use of force on those needing a wellness check (Chantel Moore)
The media not covering the MMIW/MMIWG is not just blissful unawareness.
—> Additionally, media reporting on the issue that makes the families stepping forward feel “used for a story.”
The politicians who speak of it only to later dismiss it is nothing new. (Stephen Harper, 2015 “most MMIW cases are solved.” )
Hospitals refusing to treat indigenous people because they’re believed to be under the influence, or undeserving of treatment is nothing new.
—> (ex. Joyce Echequan)
Together we strive for a new, better world.
Missing but never forgotten, always in our prayers beloved family ✊🏽
#indigenouslivesmatter
