Abducted deals with a number of important issues and one of the most pressing Is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across North America. In 2019 there were 678 reported murders of Indigenous persons by Statistics Canada. Undoubtedly more people were murdered but not reported to officials. Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women, even though Indigenous people make up 4.3% of the population of Canada.
Statistics Canada data have shown that, between 1982 and 2011, 71% of Aboriginal homicide victims in Canada were men (cited in Jones, 2015). In terms of the missing Aboriginal people, the RCMP (2014) documented that there were about 105 missing Aboriginal women in 2014 but it declined to compile statistics on missing Aboriginal men. In the report, the RCMP revealed that about 1,017 Aboriginal women had been murdered since 1980. The report also noted that the “solve rates” for murders involving Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women were similar, about 88% and 89% respectively. However, the report did not address male murder victims.
One of our goals is to help raise awareness of this important issue and help save lives, including those of Indigenous women|girls and boys|men.
Abducted Story Advisor: Stephanie Harpe is the National Representative for Aboriginalalert.ca a National Website for Missing Indigenous People’s of Canada. Stephanie’s life experiences have shaped her humanitarian work: she herself is a survivor of the Residential School system, and survived an attempted murder attack. She is a proud daughter of a murdered mother, Ruby Anne McDonald, and is also the niece of Historical Chief Dorothy McDonald of Fort Mckay First Nations.
In 2019, Stephanie traveled to 31 Indigenous Communities in Western Canada in 2019 as an International Advocate for Murdered, Missing and Exploited Indigenous People’s with the Safety and Wellness Super Clinic. She has been a keynote speaker for National Models United Nations International Conference, and has delivered a powerful TEDX Talk titled Indigenous Suffering and Survival to Success.
The Public Service Announcement, The Audition, is based on one one of International Human Rights Advocate Stephanie Harpe’s tips on staying safe in an audition or photo shoot. The video was written, directed and produced by Treaty 6 Productions , the parent production company on Abducted.
Abducted Story Advisor: Charlene Bearhead is a mother, grandmother, educator, Indigenous education advocate and author with over 30 years of regional, national and international experience. Charlene is the co-author of the children’s book series, Siha Tooskin Knows. She is currently the Director of Reconciliation at Canadian Geographic, and member of the Indigenous Education Advisory Circle for National Film Board.
Previously Charlene served as education days coordinator for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, education coordinator for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, education advisor for the Canadian Geographic Indigenous People’s Atlas of Canada and member of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Indigenous Education working group.
Their Voices Will Guide Us is an educational and outreach initiative of the National Inquiry intended to facilitate critical thinking, purposeful reflection, and dialogue around the perceptions and lived realities of Indigenous women and girls, including members of 2SLGBTQQIA communities.
The initiative is designed to engage students and teachers in meaningful learning about the important roles of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people in their families, communities, and nationals, highlighting their strength, agency and resilience. Many students, teachers, youth and other contributors have participated in its development.
The Moose Hide Campaign, a learning platform for grades Kindergarten to Grade 12. There are may steps along the path to love and healing. These beginning steps are being taught in schools as a guide in the journey to help end violence against women and children.
Aboriginal Alert shares information about missing Aboriginal people in Canada across their site. They continually receive and access information to share details about missing people and who to contact with information.