Today, Ministers Alty, Gull-Masty, Chartrand, and Valdez issued the following statement:
"Today, we honour the lives, memories, and spirits of the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people who have gone missing or been murdered. We acknowledge the brave work of the survivors, families, and communities who continue to carry immense pain and loss as they seek justice, healing, and safety. We are united in our dedication to ending this national crisis.
The most important work is being led by Indigenous Peoples at the community level. That is why we are funding initiatives like shelters and projects that improve community safety and well-being. For example, we recently announced combined funding of over $8.5 million for the Infinity Women's Secretariat to provide safe and supportive homes for women and their children leaving violent homes or coming out of emergency shelters. We also support women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, such as the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society, to help them break barriers, build capacity, and secure a seat at decision-making tables, driving systemic change toward a more inclusive economy and society.
We will build on past efforts to strengthen Canada's response to the crisis, such as the National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People
