20th Annual Strawberry Ceremony for MMIWG2S
Today, in downtown Toronto, community members from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including members of our team, gather for the Annual Strawberry Ceremony organized by No More Silence.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of this powerful event, which honours Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWGT2S). We also take time to remember and pay tribute to beloved Elder Wanda Whitebird, who led this ceremony for 19 years and passed away this past year.
Indigenous communities across Turtle Island continue to experience disproportionate rates of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence. Despite the severity of this crisis, there remains a lack of access to culturally appropriate resources and supports, including within the family law system.
In addition to the broader systemic barriers, unique forms of IPV exist in Indigenous communities, such as restricting access to cultural practices, medicines, and traditions—an insidious form of control that disrupts identity and healing.
There are thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in Canada. Yet, despite the many recommendations outlined in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, only a small fraction have been implemented.
Policies, practices, and legislation must center the lived experiences of survivors—particularly Indigenous survivors—and reflect the extensive reports, literature, and recommendations that Indigenous communities have already provided.
We echo the calls of Indigenous advocates and organizations for immediate, concrete action to fully implement the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry and the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In our own work, we remain committed to advancing this urgent need for action that prioritizes the safety, well-being, and self-determination of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.
Specifically, we emphasize the clear directives outlined in the Calls for Justice, which stress the necessity of access to basic safety resources (Calls for Justice 4.1, 4.2), including affordable food, housing (4.6), transportation (4.8), shelters (4.7), and the transfer of control and resources for Indigenous-led services (2.5, 3.2). The ongoing exclusion of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people from these fundamental human rights and services perpetuates both individual and systemic violence against them.
As we gather today, we reaffirm our solidarity with Indigenous communities and our collective responsibility to push for justice, action, and systemic change. The time for meaningful implementation is long overdue.
