I had to ask. [VIDEO]
- Details
- Published on Monday, 21 April 2014 19:40
- Written by editor
As you may have already seen in media reports from CBC, CTV, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star1, on Thursday night I disrupted Laureen Harper’s PR appearance at an Internet Cat Video festival to ask her a simple question about the fact that more than 800 Indigenous Women have been murdered or gone missing.2
You can see the video of my exchange with Mrs. Harper here.Indigenous women are 7x more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women.3 This is the very real impact that colonial systems continue to have on a daily basis. As a white woman (with two cats I love dearly!) I recognize that this is not just an Indigenous issue. We should all be horrified by this epidemic of racist sexual violence. The United Nations4, Canada's own premiers5 and people across the country are demanding more action on the issue.6 Yet this government is failing to act.
Internal Conservative documents leaked to the Canadian Press7 revealed that “exploiting Laureen Harper’s popularity” is a key part of their ‘secret strategy’ to win the 2015 election. Having Mrs. Harper associated with something as undeniably popular as internet cat videos was an attempt by the Conservatives to generate positive PR. Instead they got a media storm that forced Mrs. Harper and the Prime Minister's Office to talk about an issue they work very hard to avoid.
You can read the full press release about the action from The Native Youth Sexual Health Network and sign up for updates here.Before police removed me from the event I heard a lot of discussion about helping cats. There seems to be much less discussion and certainly no action by the Conservatives on human issues, so we’re going to need to use every opportunity we have to start the conversation ourselves.
Here are three ways you can help right now:2. A woman in Manitoba has started a meme that is spreading on social media by taking this photo of her cat with a message about MMIW. You can help spread the word by sharing photo messages of support with your own pets and using #CatsWhoCare.
3. Support the critical work of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network by donating here.
In coming days we will be listening to representatives from
The Native Youth Sexual Health Network, No More Silence and family
members of the murdered and missing about how best to support the
crucial work already being done on this issue. We’re excited to update
you on what we hear!
With ferocity and hope,
Hailey,
Shane, Sean, Victoria, Brigette and the whole SHD Team
http://www.shd.ca/
*SOURCES
[1] "Laureen
Harper interrupted by protestor at internet cat video festival" -
Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/04/18/laureen_harper_interrupted_by_protester_at_internet_cat_video_festival.html
[2] "New database lists 824 missing native women in
Canada" - Winnipeg Free Press
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/grim-number-jumps-in-study-241776001.html
[3] "First Nations women are 7x more likely to be
murdered" - Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/13/strawberry_ceremony_to_honour_aboriginal_women_missing_or_murdered.html
[4] "UN Human Rights Investigator says Canada needs inquiry
into missing Indigenous women" - The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/un-human-rights-investigator-says-canada-needs-inquiry-into-missing-aboriginal-women/article14870214/
[5] "Premiers back national inquiry on missing
indigenous women" - CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/premiers-back-national-inquiry-on-missing-aboriginal-women-1.1359089
[6] Blockades in Ontario support missing and murdered
indigenous women - APTN
http://aptn.ca/news/2014/03/03/mohawk-blockade-raise-awareness-missing-murdered-indigenous-women/
"Pressure mounts for inquiry into missing indigenous women" -
CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/pressure-mounts-for-inquiry-into-missing-and-murdered-aboriginal-women-1.2559979
SHD · Canada
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