Understanding and ending the colonial legacy of violence against indigenous women in Canada

Abstract

Indigenous women and Girls have been missing and murdered in disproportionately high numbers in Canada. This violence is rooted in colonization and is a systemic Human Rights issue. In response to the crisis, the federal government launched a National Inquiry into Missing and Murder Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) to understand the contributing factors to this violence. The inquiry's findings were published in 2019 in the reclaiming power and place report. Nevertheless, for many scholars, the numbers of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women are only "the tip of the iceberg." In this thesis, I seek to theorize the root cause of this violence ; how racist and sexist ideologies have been perpetuated in the present to continue to support the structure of the Canadian settler state, and how can these findings inform strategies to end violence? Is the Canadian State willing and legitimate to address the crisis?