Indigenous girls, women and Two-Spirit people (MMWIG2S) face high rates of gender-based violence and disproportionate levels of violent crimes. In 2019, a national inquiry found that regularly, missing Indigenous women and girls are stereotyped or stigmatized and their family’s concerns are dismissed. By listening to shared truths on May 5, Red Dress Day, and every other day, we raise awareness and stand in solidarity.
For immediate emotional assistance, call 1-844-413-6649. This is a national, toll-free 24/7 crisis call line providing support for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Reclaiming Power And Place: The Final Report Of The National Inquiry Into Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls
The National Inquiry’s Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat As One by Willie Poll and Chief Lady Bird
A determined young Anishinaabe girl in search of adventure goes on a transformative journey into a forest on her traditional territory. She is joined by a chorus of her ancestors in red dresses, who tell her they remember what it was like to be carefree and wild, too. Soon, though, the girl is challenged by a monster named Hate, who envelops her in a cloud of darkness. Ages 3-8.
Missing Nimâmâ by Melanie Florence
A young mother, one of many missing Indigenous women, watches over her small daughter as she grows up without her nimâmâ, experiencing important milestones - her first day of school, first dance, first date, wedding, first child - from afar. Ages 8 and up.
Surviving the City. Vol. 2, From the Roots Up by Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan
Dez's grandmother has passed away. Grieving, and with nowhere else to go, she's living in a group home. On top of everything else, Dez is navigating a new relationship and coming into her identity as a Two-Spirit person. Will Dez be comfortable expressing her full identity? And will her community relearn the teachings and overcome prejudice to celebrate her for who she is?
If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie
Combining fiction and non-fiction, this young adult graphic novel looks into one of the unique dangers of being an Indigenous teen in Canada today. The text of the book is derived from excerpts of a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie--a letter that went viral and in which, Jonnie calls out the authorities for neglecting to immediately investigate and involve the public in the search for missing Indigenous people, and urges them to "not treat me as the Indigenous person I am proud to be" if she were to be reported missing. Ages 12 and up.
Will I See? by David A. Robertson
While May fights against a terrible reality, she learns that there is strength in the spirit of those that have passed. But will that strength be able to save her? A story of tragedy and beauty, Will I See illuminates the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Ages 15 and up.
Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story by David A. Robertson
Helen Betty Osborne, known as Betty to her closest friends and family, dreamed of becoming a teacher. She left home to attend residential school and later moved to The Pas, Manitoba, to attend high school. On November 13, 1971, Betty was abducted and brutally murdered by four young men. Initially met with silence and indifference, her tragic murder resonates loudly today. Ages 15 and up.
Keetsahnak: Our Missing And Murdered Indigenous Sisters
This collection of stories gives voice to the Indigenous women who are missing or have been murdered. The tension between personal, political, and public action is brought home starkly as the contributors look at the roots of violence and how it diminishes life for all.
Red River Girl: The Life And Death Of Tina Fontaine by Joanna Jolly
A gripping account of a murder investigation and the unusual police detective who pursued the killer with every legal means at his disposal. Aware of the reality of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, Jolly has chronicled Tina Fontaine's life as a reminder that she was more than a statistic.
Highway Of Tears: A True Story Of Racism, Indifference And The Pursuit Of Justice For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
Highway of Tears is a powerful story about our ongoing failure to provide justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and a testament to their families and communities' unwavering determination to find it.
Stolen Sisters: The Story Of Two Missing Girls, Their Families And How Canada Has Failed Indigenous Women by Emmanuelle Walter
Stolen Sisters is a moving and deeply shocking work of investigative journalism that makes the claim that not only is Canada failing its First Nations communities, but that a feminicide is taking place.
My Privilege, My Responsibility by Sheila North
In September 2015, Sheila North was declared the Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the first woman elected to the position. North shares the stories of the events that shaped her, and the violence that nearly stood in the way of her achieving her dreams. Through perseverance and resilience, she not only survived, she flourished.
Iskotew iskwew: Poetry of a Northern Rez Girl by Francine Merasty
This books is a poetry collection written during a period of trauma while the author was working as a Counsel to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2017. This book is about memories and experience growing up on the Pelican Narrows Reserve. With this collection, the author wants to teach and inform Canadians of her experiences growing up as an Indigenous woman in Saskatchewan.
That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away by Lori Shenher
Ex-police detective Lori Shenher describes her harrowing experience of working on Vancouver's infamous Missing and Murdered Women Investigation and how police failures almost enabled convicted serial killer Robert Pickton to get away with his crimes.
Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Mailhot
Heart Berries is a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father--an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist--who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.
Finding Dawn by Christine Welsh (film)
Illustrates the deep historical, social and economic factors that contribute to the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women in Canada and presents the message that stopping that violence is everyone's responsibility.
Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterrit
Unbroken is an extraordinary work of memoir and investigative journalism focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
