From Iindigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca

Pam Palmater - August 23, 2013

Harper Solicits Research to Blame First Nations for Murdered, Missing and Traded Indigenous Women

Canada's shameful colonial history as it relates to Indigenous peoples and women specifically is not well known by the public at large. The most horrific of Canada's abuses against Indigenous peoples are not taught in schools. Even public discussion around issues like genocide have been censored by successive federal governments, and most notably by Harper's Conservatives. Recently, the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights refused to use the term "genocide" to describe Canada's laws, policies and actions towards Indigenous peoples which led to millions of deaths. The reason?: because that term was not acceptable to the federal government and the museum is after all, a Crown corporation.

http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2013/07/human-rights-museum-or-harper.html

Aside from the fact that this museum will be used as a propaganda tool for Canada vis-à-vis the international community, Harper's Conservatives are also paying for targeted research to back up their propaganda as it relates to murdered, missing and traded Indigenous women. This is not the first time that Harper has paid for counter information and propaganda material as it relates to Indigenous peoples, and it likely won't be the last. However, this instance of soliciting targeted research to help the government blame Indigenous peoples for their own victimization and oppression is particularly reprehensible given the massive loss of life involved over time.

http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2011/06/secret-agent-harper-conservative-spy.html

The issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women was made very public by the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) several years ago through their dedicated research, community engagement and advocacy efforts. Even the United Nations took notice and starting commenting on Canada's obligation to address this serious issue. Yet, in typical Harper-Conservative style, once the issue became a hot topic in the media, they cut critical funding to NWAC's Sisters in Spirit program which was the heart of their research and advocacy into murdered and missing Indigenous women. 

http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca/2010/11/neanderthal-politics-shame-on.html

To further complicate the matter, any attempts for a national inquiry into the issue has been thwarted by the federal government, despite support for such an inquiry by the provinces and territories. One need only look at the fiasco of the Pickton Inquiry in British Columbia to understand how little governments in Canada value the lives of Indigenous women, their families and communities. The inquiry was headed by Wally Oppal, the same man who previously denied the claims of Indigenous women who were forcibly sterilized against their knowledge and consent. The inquiry seemed more interested in insulating the RCMP from investigation and prosecution than it was about hearing the stories of Indigenous women.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/pamela-palmater/2011/10/murdered-missing-and-still-excluded-indigenous-women-fight-eq

Now, the Canadian public has to deal with a new chapter to this story - the sale of Indigenous women into the sex trades. The CBC recently reported that current research shows that Indigenous women, girls and babies in Canada were taken onto US ships to be sold into the sex trade. While this is not new information for Indigenous peoples, it is something that Canada has refused to recognize in the past. The research also shows that Indigenous women are brought onto these boats never to be seen from again. 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/story/2013/08/21/tby-first-nations-women-human-trafficking-ships-united-states.html

The issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women has now expanded to murdered, missing and traded women. One might have expected a reaction from both the Canadian government and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Yet, the day after the story hit the news, the AFN was tweeting about local competitions and the federal government was essentially silent. I say essentially, because while all of this was taking place, the federal government put together a Request for Proposals on MERX (#275751) to solicit research to blame the families and communities of Indigenous women for being sold into the sex trade.

https://www.merx.com/English/SUPPLIER_Menu.asp?WCE=Show&TAB=1&PORTAL=MERX&State=7&id=275751&src=osr&FED_ONLY=0&ACTION=&rowcount=&lastpage=&MoreResults=&PUBSORT=2&CLOSESORT=0&IS_SME=Y&hcode=%2f6A6jdkNJoHoufgILSp4Xg%3d%3d

Instead of making a call for true academic research into the actual causes and conditions around Indigenous women, girls and babies being sold into the sex trade, the federal government solicited research to prove:

(1) the involvement of family members in their victimization;

(2) the level to which domestic violence is linked to the sale of Indigenous women into the sex trade; and 

(3) even where they are investigating gang involvement, it is within the context of family involvement of the trade of Indigenous women.

The parameters of the research excludes looking into federal and/or provincial laws and policies towards Indigenous peoples; funding mechanisms which prejudice them and maintain them in the very poverty the research identifies; and negative societal attitudes formed due to government positions vis-à-vis Indigenous women like:

- rapes and abuse in residential schools;
- forced sterilizations;
- the theft of thousands of Indigenous children into foster care; 
- the over-representation of Indigenous women in jails; 
- and the many generations of Indigenous women losing their Indian status and membership and being kicked off reserves by federal law.

The research also leaves out a critical aspect of this research which is federal and provincial enforcement laws, policies and actions or lack thereof in regards to the reports of murdered, missing and traded Indigenous women, girls and babies. The epic failure of police to follow up on reports and do proper investigations related to these issues have led some experts to conclude that this could have prevented and addressed murdered, missing and traded Indigenous women. Of even greater concern are the allegations that have surfaced in the media in relation to RCMP members sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/02/12/bc-human-rights-watch-abuse-report.html

This MERX Request for Proposals is offensive and should be retracted and re-issued in a more academically-sound manner which looks to get at the full truth, versus a federally-approved pre-determined outcome.

It's time Canada opened up the books, and shed light on the real atrocities in this country so that we can all move forward and address them.

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From CBC.ca

Ottawa's research on trafficking of aboriginal women panned

Some in aboriginal community accuse government of blaming victims

CBC News - Sep 4, 2013Federal research on trafficking aboriginal women panned2:06

Related Stories

Native Canadian women sold on U.S. ships, researcher says

External Links

See Public Safety Canada's request for proposals

A Canadian government initiative to research family involvement in the trafficking of aboriginal women and girls has prompted accusations the government is blaming the victims.

Public Safety Canada recently issued a request for proposals for research into the trafficking of aboriginal women and girls for sexual exploitation, with a specific focus on the possible involvement of relatives and criminal gangs.

But some in the aboriginal community say they find the premise of the research offensive, accusing the federal Conservative government of seeking ways to blame the families of the women who are victimized.

"I was just, like, flabbergasted. Angry, frustrated that this is the way they look at it," said Candy Volk, whose 18-year-old niece, Hillary Wilson, was found dead in a field near Winnipeg in 2009.

"This is what Harper gives us: let's blame the victim, let's not look at the issue of the missing and murdered women ... we have to blame someone."

According to Public Safety Canada's request for proposals, the research project will focus in part on "describing the extent and situations in which family members are involved in victimizing their relatives."

The research will also examine "the mechanisms by which human trafficking and domestic violence are related to one another, particularly in the context of family trafficking" and look at "how gangs and criminal organizations are involved in trafficking."

Bids for the project were accepted until Wednesday afternoon.

"It's very cleverly designed to bring about results that will be blaming First Nations for murdered and missing and traded indigenous women," said Pam Palmater, chair of the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University in Toronto.

In a statement, a federal government spokesperson told CBC News that previous research has indicated that family members are sometimes involved in the trafficking of aboriginal women and girls.

Winnipeg-area Conservative MP Joy Smith said the research would serve as a starting point, as victims of trafficking would share their experiences, and focusing on family connections could reveal other root causes of human trafficking.

"If a family member has an addiction - let's say it's a mom or a dad - that's when you see the family connection to human trafficking," Smith said.

But Palmater said there are a number of systemic reasons why aboriginal women and girls are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation, including poverty.

"The purposeful chronic underfunding they have in communities that force people to live 20 to a home [with] not enough food to eat ... creates situations of hopelessness which results in all of these situations," she said.