RECLAIMING POWER AND PLACE Volume 2 A SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS KEPEK – QUEBEC Cette publication est également disponible en français : Réclamer notre pouvoir et notre place: Rapport complémentaire de l’Enquête nationale sur les femmes et les filles autochtones disparues et assassinées, Kepek-Québec CP32-163/2-1-2019E ISBN: 978-0-660-30489-2 COVER IMAGE: Special thanks to the artists whose work appears on the cover of this report: Dee-Jay Monika Rumbolt (Snowbird), for Motherly Love The Saa-Ust Centre, for the star blanket community art piece Christi Belcourt, for This Painting is a Mirror TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from Commissioner Audette 1 Foreword from Melanie Morrison 5 Foreword from Nancy Jourdain 7 Introduction 11 1. The National Inquiry’s Work in Quebec 17 1.1. The National Inquiry’s Mandate 17 1.2. Methodology 18 1.3. The Scope and Limitations of Our Work 19 1.4. Voices That Initiate Change 20 2. The Social Context of Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People in Quebec 23 2.1. The Indigenous Peoples of Quebec 23 2.2. The Colonial Experience of Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People in Quebec 27 2.3. Being Born Female and Indigenous: the Intersectional Identity of Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People in Quebec 33 2.4. A Contemporary Context Marked by Deep Inequalities 35 3. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People in Quebec 43 3.1. The Nature and Scope of the Problem 43 3.2. Potential Solutions with Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People 47 i Reclaiming Power and Place: Kepek – Quebec 4. The Stories of Survivors and Families 55 The story of Gilberte V. and Andrée V., in relation to Adèle V.-B. 55 The story of Mary-Annie B., Silas B., Kirby B. and Bessie C. B., in relation to Rose-Ann B. 57 The story of Nathalie H., in relation to Éliane H.-K. 59 The story of Theresa “Tess” L., Anthony G. and Angela G., in relation to Jacqueline L. 61 The story of Adrienne A. 62 The story of Viviane and Armand E., in relation to Lauréanna 64 The story of Déborah E. 65 The story of Alma and Elizabeth M. 66 The story of Françoise R., in relation to the disappearances of Tony and Emily Germaine R. 68 The story of Cheryl M., in relation to Carleen M. 69 The story of Anastasia N., in relation to Kimberley N.-N. 72 The story of Denise F., Edmond J. and Jeanne d’Arc V., in relation to Anne-Marie J. 73 The story of Maurice K. and Beatrice R.T., in relation to Kathleen K.R. 74 The story of Lise J. 76 The story of Jérôme M., Agnès P., Charles M., Christine L., Mary M., Thérèse L. and Alice L.T. 77 The story of Ambroise M., Noëlla M., Simone B. and Rachel M. 78 The stories of Jacqueline F.O., Manon O., Lucie Q., Marie-Louise A., Jeannie C., Marie-Jeanne B., Florence D., Annette D., Delima F. and Carol D., in relation to Baby Maxime, Baby Pierrette, Baby Alice, Baby Boivin 80 The story of Jenny R. 82 The stories of Érica B., Daniel P., Jean-Marc Q., Antoinette F., Francine F., Francine D., Lucie D., Angèle P. and Desneiges P., in relation to Marie-Paul P., Thérèse F. and Julie-Anna Q. 84 The story of Vivianne C., in relation to Pauline C. 85 ii Reclaiming Power and Place: Kepek – Quebec 5. The Lack of Safety for Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA People 91 5.1. Fundamental Rights 92 5.2. The Colonial Legacy 94 5.3. Living in a Context of Insecurity 96 5.3.1. Violence is Everywhere 96 5.3.2. Indifference and the Normalization of Violence in Communities 98 5.3.3. Police and Institutional Violence 100 5.4. The Indifference of Institutions 102 5.4.1. Health Services and Social Services 102 5.4.1.1. Inadequate Resources 102 5.4.1.2. Missing Children 107 5.4.2. Police Services 110 5.4.2.1. A Lack of Resources for Indigenous Police Forces 114 5.4.2.2. Jurisdictional Disputes 118 5.4.2.3. Lack of Communication 119 5.4.3. The Justice System 120 5.4.3.1. Transparency in the Justice System 120 5.4.3.2. The Impacts of the Gladue and Ipeelee Cases in Quebec 122 5.5. Lack of Training 126 5.6. Significant Unmet Needs 128 5.7. Beyond the Colonial Legacy: Identities and Cultures to Recognize 132 5.7.1. The Importance of Transmitting Culture and Legal Status 132 5.8. Path to Resilience 135 Conclusion 147 Calls for Justice 155 Bibliography 159 iii Reclaiming Power and Place: Kepek – Quebec A MESSAGE FROM COMMISSIONER AUDETTE hroughout the ages, all societies have taken care to ensure the safety of the members of their communities. And yet, still today, the World Health Organization reports that 35% of Twomen worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, this figure reflecting only violence that is reported. In Canada, statistics show that Indigenous they lose loved ones to such violence. The women and girls are much more likely to concept of family means so much more than experience violence than non-Indigenous biological lineage; the family is built with the women. According to Statistics Canada, strengths and diversity found in the sum of its between 2001 and 2015, homicide rates for parts. Each of them deserves to live in an Indigenous women were nearly six times environment where all of its members can higher than for non-Indigenous women. develop their full potential safely and A risk of such magnitude requires us all to peacefully. take responsibility, to clearly identify the The National Inquiry into Missing and issue and to take strong measures to address Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has this situation, which is rooted in Canada’s been an enriching learning experience, both historical and political context. personally and professionally, but it has also Statistics alone cannot convey what families been trying. Fulfilling our mandate was a and communities really go through when daunting task, and I often felt helpless when Meeting with all Commissioners during the first week of our mandate, Vancouver, BC, September 2016. Photo courtesy of Michèle Audette. 1 Reclaiming Power and Place: Kepek – Quebec hearing the testimony of every person who of whom are among this country’s most generously contributed to the exercise we put vulnerable. Today, we have the opportunity before them. to highlight the extraordinary resilience of Indigenous women and girls, who remain Our mission was to shed light on a social dedicated to advocating for their rights and crisis that affects Indigenous women and charting a path forward—a path we must girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people every day all take together. We wish to honourably of their lives. Although this crisis was acknowledge victims and offer families the identified long ago, we have collectively opportunity to finally be able to give their been slow to examine it in depth. The Inquiry children a better future. of which I have been part, investigated into a situation that has affected all The present can only be understood in Indigenous communities in Canada, as well relation to the past: we must know our past, as all Canadians, throughout the course of understand it and accept it, if the future is to 500 years of our common history. have meaning. We now need to go further and put forward a true social blueprint that This unprecedented inquiry addresses will enable the country to adequately address violence against some of this country’s most this major social issue and break through vulnerable citizens and identifies its systemic this impasse. causes. Never has there been such an opportunity for the truth about violence All our efforts will have led to identifying the against Indigenous women and girls to be solutions, means and actions needed to bring known, heard and acknowledged. Within about this movement. Every Canadian can the organization, we pushed and constantly and must become involved at their own level stretched the limits of our teams to meet if things are to change. Together, we have a our goals. duty to take effective measures to prevent and put an end to violence against Indigenous Why go to such lengths? To bring about women and girls and ensure their safety. change. As my mandate comes to an end, I note, with great humility, that this National This commission of National Inquiry does Inquiry will have honoured the struggles not mark the end of a movement, but taken up by the families and survivors over represents a step in a healthy process that the past 40 years. The National Inquiry, is a source of hope, a social undertaking. which was sought by 3,000 families, will Today is the first day of the Canada of have shone light on facts that are all too tomorrow. We cannot change the past, but often hidden. we can work together to shape a better future built on the strengths of each and every Violence against Indigenous women, girls, community that welcomes it, thereby and 2SLGBTQQIA people does not stem committing to improving the safety of from one isolated event. Sadly, it is the daily Indigenous women and girls together. reality of far too many human beings, many 2 Reclaiming Power and Place: Kepek – Quebec The National Inquiry into Missing and I extend my sincere thanks to all the groups Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was that joined forces around this issue, including a major undertaking that would not have alliances, coalitions and organizations.