OTTAWA—On Sisters in Spirit Day, October 4, National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak shared her support and concern for all First Nations women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals who have been affected by violence.
“The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) offers our support and prayers to all families and communities that have lost a loved one due to the ongoing crisis of violence against First Nations women, girls and gender-diverse people,” said National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak. “All women and girls are entitled to safety and to security of their person under Canadian law and international human rights law. All governments need to do more to protect First Nations women and girls. Last year, we released a five-year independent review assessing progress made on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice. This is a time to stand with the families and communities that have faced the unspeakable. We found that only two calls for justice had been fully implemented, an unacceptable level of progress. Sadly, one year later, we are not much further ahead. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs recently released its 2025 Roundtable Report on MMIWG, which indicates that six years after the final report, rates of violence against Indigenous women have actually increased. Everyone impacted by these tragedies deserves justice, and we can honour them by urging all levels of government to achieve the 231 Calls for Justice.”
