Indigenous Women's Justice Plan calls for major reform by province and feds
The BC First Nations Justice Council has released a detailed plan for broad reforms it says will improve the lives of Indigenous women and girls.
BCFNJC said it held engagement across the province as it drafted the plan, hearing directly from Indigenous women about their lived experiences and their interactions with police, social workers, the courts and the criminal justice system.
The council released the final draft of its Indigenous Women’s Justice Plan at a forum in Vancouver on Monday.
Attendees heard that Indigenous women and girls in B.C. are far more likely to be victims of violence, including sexual violence, than non-Indigenous women, and are significantly over-represented in the foster care system and correctional facilities.
"It's unacceptable that Indigenous women and girls and (Two-Spirit)-plus people are on the negative end of all of these indicators. It's absolutely unacceptable,” said Kory Wilson, BCFNJC chair.
Among the many recommendations in the plan are calls for expanded cultural and trauma-focused programming for incarcerated Indigenous women.
"We know that the justice system is doing exactly what it was meant to do and that was to punish, to ostracize, to push down,” said Darla Rasmussen, who spoke at the forum. “But, we as Indigenous peoples know that doesn't work."
Addressing more than 500 people, Rasmussen opened up about her sister’s life in gangs, struggles with addiction and eventual suicide.
"When Rhonda took her life it was devastating, mostly because she left behind beautiful children. And the sadness of that is that my nieces are also a product of that,” Rasmussen said.
Despite living with significant emotional trauma from that experience and others, Rasmussen, who grew up in foster care, is optimistic justice reform will make a difference in the lives of Indigenous women.
The BCFNJC will now share its plan with the provincial and federal governments and would like to see them make significant changes to the child welfare system, corrections and policing.
"The reality is a lot of this also stems from racism. Systemic, institutionalized racism that has to be addressed in an honest way,” said Wilson.
She’s confident the changes the council is pushing for will allow the next generation of Indigenous girls to grow up in a brighter future filled with opportunity instead of trauma.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
NEW 'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.