Increased support for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people and Indigenous victims and survivors of crime

OTTAWA, ON, May 29, 2023 /CNW/ -

Support line for those affected by missing and murdered Indigenous people:

There is a national, toll-free 24/7 crisis call line providing mental health support for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous people. For assistance, call 1-844-413-6649. Supports are also available through the MMIWG2S+ health and cultural support services. Support could include professional counselling with a focus on healing, emotional supports such as listening and referrals to additional services, and culturally specific help centred around traditional healing methods and Elder services.

Increasing access to justice for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people, as well as Indigenous victims and survivors of crime is a priority for the Government of Canada. Indigenous community-based organizations have the expertise and knowledge to support victims in their communities. Ensuring that they have the tools and resources they need helps address the gaps in specialized distinctions-based services and supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Offering distinct supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis helps to ensure culturally safe and centred service delivery.

Today, the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada,the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, Chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle announced $95.8 million over five years and $20.4 million ongoing, starting in 2023-24 to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous people and Indigenous victims of crime. These expanded services now include MMIWG2S+, men and boys. This funding will increase access to culturally safe supports for victims and their families to assist them with their grief and healing journey by providing dignified and responsive supports for Indigenous victims and survivors of crime (or violence) and the families of MMIWG2S+, men and boys. More specifically, this funding includes:

• Family Information Liaison Units (FILUs): $37.3 million over five years and $7.75 million annually on an ongoing basis to ensure that the critical services provided by FILUs to families of all missing and murdered Indigenous people, including men and boys, continue to be available for as long as they are needed, and enable FILUs to expand their operations to address gaps in service delivery and remain responsive to the needs of Indigenous communities.
  
  
• Community Support and Healing for Families Initiative: $20.0 million over five years and $4.15 million annually on an ongoing basis to ensure that all families of missing and murdered Indigenous people, including men and boys, have access to Indigenous-led, community-based supports to assist them with their grief and in their healing journey.
  
  
• Access to Indigenous-led victims services and supports: $38.6 million over five years and $8.45 million annually on an ongoing basis to support a wide range of Indigenous-led and co-developed activities to support and assist Indigenous victims of crime and survivors of violence across Canada.

The final reports of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, among others, have made it clear that the way forward to support Indigenous victims and survivors of crime requires sustainable, collaborative, and Indigenous-led supports and services. These reports have called on all levels of governments to ensure that sustained actions and investments give life to self-determined, grassroots solutions to support the process of decolonization.

This investment also responds to the Government of Canada's commitment to improve the availability and access to Indigenous-led, culturally safe, and trauma-informed victim services and supports. This commitment was made in the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, the federal government's contribution to the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan. This investment also supports the implementation of Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #40, which calls upon all levels of government to create, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, adequately funded and accessible Indigenous-specific victim programs and services.

Quotes

"Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people experience ongoing violence and continue to be murdered at alarming rates in Canada. Building sustainability is a critical step in achieving transformative change to address systemic and structural barriers for the safety, security, healing, and wellness of families of MMIWG2S+ and Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. This funding must provide opportunities for Indigenous-led, culturally safe, and trauma-informed family- and victim-centred approaches. Individuals and families must be able to access services and supports regardless of where they live. The implementation of this funding must be accountable, responsive, and have measurable outcomes to ensure impact is felt on the ground."Hilda Anderson-Pyrz
Chair, National Family and Survivors Circle

"First Nations peoples, Inuit and Métis   should have access to sustainable, Indigenous-led services and supports. Through these investments, we are answering the call for sustainable funding to support the design and delivery of culturally safe services for all Indigenous victims and survivors of crime so that they  have access to the supports and services they need for as long as they need them."

The Honourable David Lametti, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

"Families, survivors and communities of missing and murdered Indigenous Peoples have a right to find closure for themselves and their loved ones, and to have access to culturally safe and trauma-informed resources, when and where they need it. The funding announced today will contribute to ensuring that these services are available, as we continue the critical work of implementing the Calls for Justice."

The Honourable Marc Miller
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Quick Facts

• The level of violent victimization and institutional violence experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada has been well documented. Indigenous people are almost six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous people in Canada, and their experiences of violent crime are more than double. For Indigenous women, as outlined by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, two-thirds of Indigenous women have reported having experienced violent victimization in their lifetime.
  
  
• Through Budget 2023, the federal government is continuing to build on the progress that has been made in partnership with Indigenous peoples since 2015 on walking the path of truth and reconciliation. Building on the $2.2 billion provided in Budget 2021, Budget 2023 proposed investments that acknowledge the leadership of families and survivors in this process, and the need to increase accountability and ensure that progress is made. The support announced today is part of Budget 2023's larger investments to implement the National Action Plan to end the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Canada.
  
  
• The 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan was developed in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, Survivors, families, and Indigenous women's organizations in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Federal Pathway is Canada's contribution to the National Action Plan.
  
  
• In the Federal Pathway, the Government of Canada committed to seeking new opportunities to increase collaboration with Indigenous partners and organizations and with provincial and territorial partners to improve availability and access to Indigenous-led, culturally safe, and trauma-informed victim services and supports. Renewed and ongoing support for FILUs responds to this commitment.
  
  
• On January 10, 2023, Indigenous leaders and partners and federal, provincial and territorial ministers met at a national roundtable on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. At the roundtable, federal, provincial and territorial ministers and government representatives had an opportunity to highlight their recent actions to advance work to prevent and end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. They also committed to pursue future opportunities to collaborate with Indigenous leaders, provincial and territorial governments and other partners to work towards implementing the identified key priorities to support Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people, survivors, families and their communities.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Budget 2023 investments to increase access to justice and supports for Indigenous victims and survivors of crime and families of missing and murdered Indigenous people
• Backgrounder: Advancing Reconciliation (Budget 2023)

Associated Links

• Family Information Liaison Units
• Budget 2023 – A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future
• Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
• 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
• Indigenous Justice, Recognition and Reconciliation

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SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Diana Ebadi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, 343-574-3446, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]