National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30^th each year marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

Luke’s Place operates on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.  

We recognize that the legal and court systems we work within have long criminalized and surveilled Indigenous communities. As a service dedicated to supporting survivors of violence, we especially bear witness to the ways Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals face disproportionate harm.

According to Statistics Canada: 

• Indigenous people are more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous people to report IPV 

• Indigenous women were three times more likely to report spousal abuse  

• 51% of Indigenous victims of spousal violence reported experiencing the most severe forms of spousal violence (i.e., having been sexually assaulted, beaten, choked or threatened with a gun or knife) compared with 23% of non-Indigenous victims 

Indigenous women continue to endure heightened rates of violence and systemic barriers. Family law and social service supports must offer culturally safe and responsive, trauma-informed, anti-racist, feminist, intersectional, and anti-oppressive services.  

These statistics highlight the urgent need for systemic change. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015) identified many of these same priorities. Several are especially relevant to family law and intimate partner violence, including: 

• Call to Action 36: Supports culturally relevant services for inmates surrounded by substance abuse, family and domestic violence, and the legacy of sexual abuse. 

• Call to Action 39: Demands a national plan to collect and report on criminal victimization data involving Indigenous peoples, including homicide and family violence. 

• Call to Action 40: Calls for adequately funded, accessible, Indigenous-specific victim programs and services. 

• Call to Action 41: Calls for a public inquiry into the disproportionate victimization of Indigenous women and girls, including missing and murdered cases. 

• Call to Action 50: Fund Indigenous law institutes to foster Indigenous legal traditions and access to justice. 

• Call to Action 53: Establish a National Council for Reconciliation, to address criminal victimization of Indigenous peoples.  

At Luke’s Place, we recommit ourselves today to ongoing education and reflection. 

We strive to deliver care through culturally grounded, trauma-informed approaches that prioritize Indigenous autonomy and self-determination. 

Reconciliation is everyone’s work. We invite allies, legal professionals, service providers, and community members to learn from Indigenous-led resources and reflect on how you can embed anti-oppressive and culturally safe practices in your context.

Resources for further learning:

• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation 

• National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report 

• Indigenous Women, Intimate Partner Violence, and Housing 

• Decolonizing family law through trauma-informed practices. Rise Women’s Legal Centre 

• Experiences of Indigenous families in the family justice system: A literature review and perspectives from legal and frontline family justice professionals  

• Creating Safety Plans with Vulnerable Populations to Reduce the Risk of Repeated Violence and Domestic Homicide

• Indigenous Communities and Family Violence: Changing the conversation

• National Indigenous History Month – CLEO Connect