The case of the murdered or missing indigenous girls relates to me personally because I have a friend whose cousin is missing. She is an indigenous person. I have seen the struggles that this issue can cause to those who are going through these hardships, and it is always devastating. Not knowing where a loved one is, or what could possibly be happening to them causes extreme torment, to the point where close family members are unable to sleep at night. The situation becomes worse knowing that other Indigenous girls have been going missing, and have turned up dead. Seeing the stories on the news is a constant reminder of what might be happening to her cousin, and this can be something that is extremely difficult to get over.
Systems/Structures – Family – Bob
Due to the hardships that families of the missing women need to be addressed. The psychological burden that this can have is a social issue that needs to be addressed. With 600 Aboriginal women and girls going missing, or being found murdered in Canada, the Government of Canada decided to contribute $10 million to the issue, some of which is earmarked for counselling efforts for the impacted families (Bell, 2015). According to Kate Rexe, NWAC Sisters’ in Spirit Direct, the $10 million does not go far enough to address the hardships faced by families. She says accessing programs and resources that can help with the healing process is vital to making a difference in the lives of the families. The family support can extend to raising awareness about the issue so that there can be not only satisfaction in the minds of the families that action is being taken, but to also find ways to prevent the struggles from continuing to happen throughout the indigenous community (Bell, 2015).
Ideologies – Capitalism – Bob
In a report released in 2014 from The Native Women’s Association of Canada titled “Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Aboriginal Women and Girls,” there is a high frequency of trafficking among the Indigenous women who have gone missing. Capitalism has fueled an industry that aims to enslave these women. The report states that colonialism of Aboriginal society is largely to blame for the issue. Other causes that spawn this industry include, family violence, childhood abuse, homelessness, poverty, lack of basic survival necessities, lack of education, substance addition, migration, and gender-based discrimination (Sexual Exploitation 2014).
Conclusion – Bob
In conclusion, my personal connection to this issue likely influenced the way that I thought about it. Due to my friend having a missing Indigenous family member, I have seen first-hand the challenges that she has gone through, and this created more of a personal note when it comes to handling the subject matter. I have an emotional connection to the pain that the family members are going through, and this affects my objectivity on the subject. However, it allows me to provide subjective analysis, so there is more of a connection to the real issues going on, and how these can play such a devastating role in the lives of the families.
References
Bell, J. (2015). $10 million not enough to restore justice and dignity for indigenous women in
Canada. The Ohio State University. Retrieved from
“Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Aboriginal Women and Girls.” (2014). The Native
Women’s Association of Canada. Retrieved from
