Murdered Women, Missing Justice

Every week since the beginning of the Sham Missing Women's Inquiry, the Women's Memorial March Committee has been rallying to denounce the disrespect and injustice happening inside. Dozens of DTES, Aboriginal, and Women's organizations were shut out from participating in the Inquiry. Now we are hearing numerous stories, directly and as reported in the media, of family members outrage and anger and frustration with this inquiry as there are no answers, no apologies, and authorities are just protecting themselves and each other.

http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/

My cousin Tanya Holyk went missing in 1996.

She was one of the unlucky ones.

Her DNA was found on Pickton's farm,

and I have a missing auntie.

Her name is Belinda Williams.

But she's been missing since 1977.

I want to raise awareness

of the alarming high rates of violence against First Nations women and girls across canada.

And the high alarming rates of missing and murdered First Nations women across canada.

I want to promote First Nation women role models,

and give aboriginal youth, teens, girls, and all women

someone to look up to in our communities.

I have 20 beautiful First Nations women backing me up on this.

And I have a good support system.

And we're calling ourselves Butterflies In Spirit.

I find it appalling that it continues to happen.

I find it disturbing that the agencies won't admit

a little bit of racial discrimination

might've been a deciding factor

in them investigating or not

because these were aboriginal women.

So I really believe that the system

the justice system in particular,

really has to take a look at how it deals with its aboriginal population.

And so I believe that this is an important cause.

I volunteer and organize with a group of women,

the Aboriginal Women's Action Network,

and we believe there can not be a meaningful outcome from the Oppal Commission,

in light of the fact that the Native Courtworkers and Counseling Association of BC,

the Union of BC Chiefs,

the Carrier Sekani,

NWAC [Native Women's Association of Canada]

Power of Women Group,

many other groups

have been shut out of this process.

Frontline women's organizations are not able to participate in the missing women's inquiry

because they were shut out,

we were given standing, but then not given any funding to have lawyers,

and we can't participate,

none of us are lawyers,

none of us are able to cross-examine,

and none of us are able to review a million pages of documentation.

So unfortunately, we have not been able to participate in any particularly meaningful way.

Well we've been doing a variety of things,

some of which is, um, talking to people, attending rallies, um,

really talking about the inability of all of us not to be able to participate,

and also thinking about how women might want to come forward

if it were in an easier place to do it.

However, that, now that we have attended days of the inquiry,

it's really apparent that this is not a safe place for women to be.

So unfortunately between not being able to because of lack of legal advice,

and as well as a place that really isn't accessible to many women

who, you know, they haven't for 10 years wanted to come forward,

and they may very well not want to come forward now.

[Women's Warrior Song]

And I often wonder,

what hope is there?

But we're still here!

So there's hope!

[Women's Warrior Song...]