By Cheryl Jahn

Sacred & Strong

Aug 9, 2021 | 2:32 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “Between May 2017 and December 2018, over 2,380 families shared their stories through the truth-gathering process of the National Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The testimonies recounted the unique and precious spirits of these stolen sisters and laid bare the heartbreak and devastation that families and communities feel every day as a consequence of their absence.”

That is the dedication of a new report, entitled “Sacred and Strong: Upholding our Matriarchal Roles.”

The report sets out many examples of racism and discrimination faced by Indigenous women for years.

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“This report is the culmination of the women leaders in our community. Our children, our youth, our elders, our sisters, our mothers, and our aunties,” says Jessie King, Acting Chair of First Nations Studies at UNBC. “They’re coming together and telling us what we’ve been saying for years. We’re telling people that we have been mistreated due to the Indian Act, colonialism, assimilation. Different efforts have directly targetted indigenous women in Canada, whether it’s through the residential schools, though Indian Hospitals, through forced sterilization, and then the 60’s Scoop which was ultimately replaced with a more violent Child Welfare system.”

But the report also sets out where there has been an improvement.

“Sacred and Strong is really that reclamation of space,’ says King. “It is indigenous women saying here is the issue, we know how to solve it. Help us. Support us. Stand beside us.”

“Racism and prejudice come from a space of lack of knowledge and ignorance. At the end of the day, don’t own people’s BS because it is a reflection of their own healing work that needs to be done. Arm yourself with knowledge and history and refuse to let them take away your peace. If the experiences still sting, my love, then let yourself cry, write, organize a rally, write a statement, or do whatever you need to in order to drag that experience out of you – just don’t let it set up a home in your bones because it has no place there. You were brought into this world with purpose, move about it with power.”

That is a quote from Helen Knott from the report. She says while there has been progress, more work has yet to be done.

“There needs to be increased and continued investment in wellness for indigenous women starting at young ages.”