Today is - MMIWG Day - I wanted to write a post, but I think an essay I wrote last year for my civics class sums up what I want to say today. Because trans & two spirit identities are not spoken about enough, when speaking about Murdered Missing Indigenous Women & Girls. & that's why I made it a point to discuss it in my essay. It's all horrible, but if you're going to approach a topic - it should encompass all not some.
Nick Printupâs short documentary, Our Sisters In Spirit, offers a sobering look into the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in Canada. Through interviews with family members, activists, and community leaders, the film highlights the systemic failures that have allowed this crisis to persist. The documentary questions whether a national public inquiry is the most effective approach, or if alternative methods might better address the issue.
The film underscores the deep-rooted colonial violence and institutional neglect that have historically marginalized Indigenous communities. It emphasizes that the MMIWG crisis is not just a series of isolated incidents but a manifestation of broader systemic issues, including racism, sexism, and the devaluation of Indigenous lives. The documentary calls for a multifaceted response that includes community-led initiatives, policy reforms, and increased support for Indigenous organizations.
Adding to this urgency are the staggering statistics. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Indigenous women make up only 4% of the female population in Canada but account for 16% of all female homicide victims and 11% of missing women cases nationwide. The Native Womenâs Association of Canada (NWAC) has documented over 1,200 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, though advocacy groups argue the true number exceeds 4,000. The crisis is not confined to Canada; globally, Indigenous women face violence at rates up to ten times higher than non-Indigenous women, as reported by the United Nations.
Trans and Two-Spirit Indigenous individuals are even more at risk, experiencing some of the highest rates of violence, homicide, and discrimination. A 2022 report by Egale Canada in collaboration with Two-Spirited People of the First Nations found that over 60% of trans and Two-Spirit Indigenous respondents had experienced physical or sexual assault, and many reported being denied basic services or protection from authorities. Their cases are often underreported, miscategorized, or ignored entirely, compounding the crisis with even deeper invisibility.
The themes presented in Our Sisters In Spirit resonate beyond Canada, reflecting similar challenges faced by Indigenous communities in the United States.
In Oklahoma, for instance, Governor Kevin Stitt recently vetoed a bill that would have provided state funding for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Stitt argued that the state should not fund investigators focused exclusively on Indigenous cases, suggesting that such efforts should remain under federal jurisdiction.
This decision has been met with criticism from tribal leaders and advocates who view it as a setback in addressing the MMIWG crisis. By refusing to allocate state resources, the veto undermines efforts to investigate and resolve cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous individuals. It also signals a lack of commitment to protecting vulnerable populations within the state.
Visibility can often determine whether a case receives adequate attention. Tina Fontaine, a 15-year-old girl from Sagkeeng First Nation, became a national symbol of the crisis after her murder in 2014. Wrapped in a duvet and discarded in Winnipegâs Red River, her death generated widespread public outrage and helped push the Canadian government toward launching the 2016 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Yet not all stories are treated with the same urgency. Maisy Odjick, an Algonquin teenager who went missing with her friend Shannon Alexander in 2008, has never received comparable media attention. Despite persistent advocacy by her family, the case has seen little progress. Both girls vanished from Maniwaki, Quebec, and to this day, their disappearance remains unresolved.
A particularly underrepresented group within this already marginalized population is trans and Two-Spirit Indigenous individuals. Sumaqsis, a Two-Spirit Miâkmaq youth, was reported missing in Nova Scotia in 2019. Her disappearance received virtually no media attention, and law enforcement failed to prioritize the case, despite the clear vulnerability and risk she faced. Cases like hers demonstrate how gender identity and sexual orientation intersect with colonial legacies of neglect, making trans Indigenous lives especially vulnerable and easily erased from public consciousness.
The disparity in recognition between Fontaine, Odjick, and Sumaqsis is not about the value of their lives, but about how systemic biases prioritize some narratives over others. Fontaineâs age, the urban context of her death, and the emotional response it evoked from the public created pressure on authorities to act. Meanwhile, Odjick and Sumaqsisâone in a rural location and the other a trans youthâexist in categories that historically garner less institutional empathy or visibility. All three are Indigenous, yet their treatment underscores a brutal hierarchy shaped by settler-colonial media frameworks, systemic racism, and cisnormative biases.
Compounding the issue, the federal government has proposed significant budget cuts to programs that support Native American communities. The Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal includes a $617 million reduction in funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the elimination of tribal loan guarantees, and a $187 million cut to education construction programs. These cuts threaten the infrastructure and services essential to the well-being of Indigenous populations.
Additionally, the removal of tribal flags from federal facilities, such as the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix, has been perceived as a symbolic act of disrespect towards Indigenous nations. While some state officials, like Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, have taken steps to display these flags in their offices as a sign of solidarity, the initial removal reflects a broader pattern of marginalization.
The convergence of these political actionsâvetoing state funding for MMIWG investigations, proposing federal budget cuts to Indigenous programs, and removing tribal symbols from public spacesâdemonstrates a troubling disregard for the rights and needs of Native communities. Such decisions not only hinder efforts to address the MMIWG crisis but also perpetuate the systemic inequalities that have long plagued Indigenous populations.
Addressing these disparities demands more than acknowledgment; it requires targeted funding, inclusive policy, and infrastructure that respects and uplifts all Indigenous people, regardless of their gender identity or how closely their stories align with dominant narratives. Community-led programs must be empowered with real resources, and the media must shift its framework to humanize and center the voices that have long been pushed aside.
In light of the insights provided by Our Sisters In Spirit, it is evident that meaningful change requires a commitment from both federal and state governments to support Indigenous-led initiatives, allocate necessary resources, and recognize the sovereignty and dignity of Native nations. Only through collaborative and respectful engagement can we hope to address the MMIWG crisis and promote justice for Indigenous communities.
Amnesty International. (2004). Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.ca/research/stolen-sisters/
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). (2019). What we know about Tina Fontaineâs death and the trial of Raymond Cormier. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tina-fontaine-timeline-1.4519846
Egale Canada & Two-Spirited People of the First Nations. (2022). Two-Spirit, Trans, and Non-Binary Indigenous People and Gender-Based Violence in Canada. Retrieved from https://egale.ca/awareness/two-spirit-indigenous-violence-report/
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Retrieved from https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
Native Womenâs Association of Canada (NWAC). (2021). Fact Sheet: Violence Against Indigenous Women. Retrieved from https://www.nwac.ca/resource/fact-sheet-violence-against-indigenous-women/
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). (2014). Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview. Retrieved from https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/missing-and-murdered-aboriginal-women-national-operational-overview
Tribal Business News. (2024). Federal Budget Proposal Slashes Native American Funding by Over $600 Million. Retrieved from https://www.tribalbusinessnews.com
Two Row Times. (2022). Who Is Sumaqsis? The Ongoing Crisis for Two-Spirit and Trans Indigenous Youth. Retrieved from https://tworowtimes.com/news/national/who-is-sumaqsis/
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). (2020). Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/global-study-on-homicide.html
