Shirley Pien dedicates regular time at Cabot Square, a park in downtown Montreal known for attracting many homeless individuals. As a health navigator at an Indigenous-led health center in the city, she makes it a priority to visit the gathering spot weekly, a place where she used to see missing Indigenous women who have since vanished.
Recently, Pien noted the absence of several women she regularly encountered, sparking concern within the community. This observation prompted her participation in a march in Montreal over the weekend to raise awareness about the disproportionate number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
Expressing frustration with the lack of action by authorities, Pien emphasized the urgent need for initiatives to address these disappearances. The march in Montreal was part of a series of events nationwide commemorating the annual day of action on October 4.
Organizers of the Montreal protest criticized government inaction in implementing recommendations from a 2019 national inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, which characterized the issue as a crisis. The inquiry highlighted systemic human rights violations contributing to the elevated levels of violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals.
Despite the inquiry’s 231 calls to justice, few have been adequately addressed, according to protest organizers representing local native women’s shelters and Inuit associations in southern Quebec. Simone Page, leading a team advocating for families searching for missing loved ones, highlighted the prevalence of sex trafficking targeting unhoused Inuit and other Indigenous women in Montreal, especially around Cabot Square.
Page stressed the critical need for prompt police response in missing persons cases, particularly within the initial 24 to 48 hours, crucial for combating trafficking. She lamented the slow progress in implementing the inquiry’s calls to justice, underlining the pressing nature of the issue as a matter of life and death.
At the protest, Native Nam from Kitigan Zibi in Quebec emphasized the discrepancy between reported and actual numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women. She urged action, reminding attendees that behind the statistics are real individuals, such as daughters, mothers, and cousins.
Responding to criticisms, the office of Ian Lafrenière, Quebec’s minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, highlighted ongoing efforts to address the crisis, including awareness campaigns and legislative measures promoting cultural safety for Indigenous populations in healthcare settings. The federal government also reiterated its commitment to supporting Indigenous-led initiatives to combat gender-based violence and human trafficking.
In a joint statement, federal ministers underscored the importance of community-led efforts in addressing the crisis, citing recent government investments in transitional housing for Métis women and children as part of broader initiatives to enhance community safety and support Indigenous communities.
