The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Saskatchewan First Nation Women’s Commission say the lack of First Nation’s strategic input into the Federal Government’s National Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, is problematic. But, they also say that they recognize that as an evergreen approach, there is still time to refocus.

FSIN Fourth Vice Chief Heather Bear says, “The final report was titled: ‘Reclaiming Power and Place,’ yet we as Indigenous women and gender-diverse people continue to fight for our voices to be heard in these spaces that are making key decisions on our behalf.” She says, “We need to ensure that a decolonial, trauma-informed guides the work that remains ahead of us – nothing about us, without us.”

Last winter at the FSIN Chief’s in Assembly, the Commission passed a Resolution calling on the establishment of Saskatchewan First Nation Women’s Steering Committee to create strategies aimed at coordinating or collaborating on a regional strategy to implement the calls for justice in Saskatchewan.

They say the steering committee and the work plan are unfunded and serves as a prime example of the capacity-building and funding need.

Another area they consider critical and underrepresented in the National Action Plan is in the area of Reproductive Justice.
Bear says, “Our women on reserves are forced to leave their communities to give birth. Through many experiences, our women have been traumatized and forced to accept deplorable treatment in our healthcare system.” She says, “These are the types of discussions that we hope the National Action Plan Core Committee would emphasize and facilitate better inter-judicial conversations.”