“Shrugged off and brushed to the side”:

Police (Non)Responsiveness to Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls

32nd Canadian Congress on Criminal JusticeHalifax, Nova Scotia

October 29, 2009

Outline• Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC)• Sisters In Spirit (SIS)

SIS Education SIS Policy SIS Research

• Sisters In Spirit Research Results• Stolen Sisters video• “Shrugged off and brushed to the side”: Police

(Non)Responsiveness to Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls

The Native Women’s Association of Canada

• Goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic and political well-being of Aboriginal women

• Current membership of 11 Native women’s organizations across Canada, including the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association

• Incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1974• NWAC engages in national strategies aimed at legislative

and policy reforms to promote equal opportunity for Aboriginal women

Sisters In Spirit

• Multi-year research, education and policy initiative addressing violence against Aboriginal women, specifically the high numbers of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada

• Better understand root causes of violence against Aboriginal women and identify measures to increase safety and well-being

• Honour women and girls who have been lost to violence and remember those still missing

Sisters In Spirit Education• Sisters In Spirit Vigils: “What are you doing on October

4th?” 72 Vigils in 2009 across Canada 40 Vigils in 2008 30 Vigils in 2007 11 Vigils in 2006

10 Community Engagement Workshops across Canada each year

4 community education tool kits Navigating the Missing Persons Process Unlocking the Mystery of Media Relations Raising Awareness Safety Measures for Aboriginal Women

Sisters In Spirit Policy

1. Reduction of violence2. Economic security3. Access to justice4. Reduction of the impact/number of children in the child

welfare system

Sisters In Spirit Research• Sharing, caring, trust and strength• Community-based approach• Research for change process• Families are the experts; collaborative, reciprocal

process between equal partners• Methodology privileges the experiences of missing and

murdered Aboriginal women, girls and their families• Storytelling• SIS database• Limitations of research

Cases in Canada

Missing or Murdered

Age

Family Size

12

38

46

31

13

5

5

3

1

1

0

0

0 10 20 30 40 50

No Children

1 child

2 children

3 children

4 children

5 children

6 children

7 children

8 children

9 children

10 children

11 children

Years of Incidents

Clearance of Murder Cases

52% of cases cleared

43% of cases not cleared

5% unknown

Stolen Sisters (FahrenheitFilms & Global)

video clip

“Shrugged off and brushed to the side”: Police (non)Responsiveness to Families of

Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls

• Where We Have Been Background and Literature Review

• Where We Are Analysis of families of missing and murdered

women’s stories about their experiences with police

• Where We Will Go Discussion and Conclusion

Methodology

• “How do police respond to families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls?”

• Discourse analysis• 15 stories shared by families of missing and

murdered Aboriginal women and girls• Limitations:

Differences between policing agencies Scope of interviews with families Changing perceptions over time

Where We Have Been

• Murder a “new” issue for Aboriginal peoples/communities

• Colonization • History of mistrust in Aboriginal-police relations

“Historic” & “Modern”

• Aboriginal women’s perception of police• Racial profiling in policing

Where We Are

• Frustration. Apathy. Fear. Distrust. Anger.• Racism and Stereotypes• “A Rough Time”• Communication

Where We Are

• Missing Persons Process• Searches• Positive Police Practices• Kind. Non-judgmental. Caring. Helpful.

Racism and Stereotypes

• “Drunken Indian” stereotype “Out partying” “She liked to party too much!” and she was a “Native

Indian and known alcohol and crack addict” Pictures of empty beer bottles

• Perceptions of racism Difference for Aboriginal women Just “another dead Indian” Despite being Aboriginal…

“A Rough Time”

• Strained relationships between police and families• “Do you know how many women go missing

downtown?”• Just a number• Myths

Wait one week to report disappearance Police will wait 48 hours to take action

• Affecting case outcomes Discouraged access to police service False promises of media publicity

Communication

• 8 families received at least one update Half received regular updates

• Minimum standards• Family’s persistence• One-sided• Language barriers• 2 families never received an update• 3 families felt police ignored them

Missing Persons Process

• 2 missing persons reports accepted immediately• 6 missing persons reports not accepted

immediately “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found” Could not file as an adopted daughter “Trying to brush me off”

• “Accepted” report—but didn’t take it seriously “You will find her before we will” “She’ll come home on her own”

• 2 weeks to 7 months for real action

Searches

• 8 families searched for their missing loved one• 4 families never had police-led search• “Give us some time or give us a place to look”• 2 families made and distributed their own

missing persons posters• 4 families conducted interviews• 5 families organized their own ground searches• Communities stood in solidarity with families

Positive Police Practices• Police honoured family’s request

Work with a female, First Nation officer Police come to family home in plain clothing

• Police secure prime-time media coverage for missing woman

• Officers worked overtime without pay to find and charge murderers

• Dedicated officers promise to persevere on unsolved cases

• Police helped murdered woman’s son attend court proceedings while in custody

• Police introduced family to victim services• Kind. Non-judgmental. Caring. Helpful.

Where We Will Go

• Violence against Aboriginal women requires immediate public attention Barriers must be addressed and overcome

• Listening to communities and families is key• Decolonization and reclaiming our ways of being• Change on the horizon

Saskatoon Police Service

• Families push for justice for their mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters

Migwetch!

Wela’lin!

Thank you!

Merci!