A Critical Examination of Canada’s Obligations Under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Government’s Actions and Omissions in Relation to the Investigation of the Hundreds of Missing Aboriginal Women

Abstract

Standing on Canada’s Parliament Hill, meters from the historic Centennial Flame, Canadians witnessed another year of commemoration, representing the many missing and murdered Aboriginal women across Canada. Stories of loss and hope, grief and frustration, filled with song and dance and spoken word, left many standing in a mesmerizing stare; they were moved by powerful words, but remained speechless. The event was one of the annual Sisters in Spirit Vigils to honor lost sisters, wives, daughters, and aunts, among friends, families, activists, and supporters, who have fought in their communities for so long. Families and leaders have lobbied governments for decades, facing the reality of the Canadian government’s inaction and omissions relating to the investigation of hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Families and leaders are faced with the dissatisfactory inaction that has persisted too long at the cost of so many. And despite countless setbacks and hardships endured, Aboriginal voices and allies calling for action remain strong.