New Brunswick is committed to improving the safety, security and well-being of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Weaving Our Voices Together: New Brunswick’s Path to Safety for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People is a testament to that commitment.
This report lays out the government of New Brunswick’s commitment to make change and end the violence. It lays the foundation for working in partnership with the Wabanaki Nations (Wolastoqey Nation, Mi’gmaq Nation, and the Peskotomuhkati Nation); Indigenous organizations; Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people; the New Brunswick Advisory Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People; and the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls to prevent violence, and envision a future where survivors, families, and communities have the opportunity to heal and move forward.
The actions outlined in this report represent a renewed commitment toward this goal. We recognize there is much more work to be done. Achieving improvements that are sustained over time will require ongoing focus and attention from all partners, and government is committed to doing its part.
I am thankful for all the strong and resilient voices of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and all those who shared their experiences and expertise that guided and informed New Brunswick’s path forward.
Hon. Sherry Wilson,
Minister responsible for Women’s Equality
The Commission of Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was established in August 2016 with a mandate to:
- recommend concrete actions to remove systemic causes of violence and increase the safety of Indigenous women and girls in Canada;
- recommend ways to honour and commemorate missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; and,
- provide the Government of Canada with an interim report, released on November 1st, 2017, and a final report, released on June 3rd, 2019.
The final report is comprised of testimonies from 1,484 family members and survivors of violence; and 83 Knowledge Keepers, experts, and officials, who provided testimony at 24 hearings and statement gathering events, held from coast-to-coast-to-coast, between 2017-2018. In addition, 819 people participated by sharing their truths through artistic expressions.
The final report consists of 231 Calls for Justice. The Calls for Justice affect all levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, and municipal). There are also Calls for Justice directed at industry, media, law societies, health and wellness providers, as well as all Canadians and civil society.
Final Report - Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls - Final Report | MMIWG (mmiwg-ffada.ca)
Weaving Our Voices Together: New Brunswick’s Path to Safety for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
New Brunswick supported the call for a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls for a number of years prior to the announcement by the Federal government in 2015 to establish an independent inquiry.
In 2016, Women’s Equality began leading the work of the government of New Brunswick’s participation and contribution to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
As part of the truth gathering process of the Commission, in 2018, Women’s Equality supported a community hearing and statement gathering event in Moncton, New Brunswick for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
In 2018, New Brunswick provided a written closing submission to the Commission on programs, policies, and practices in the province which address violence against Indigenous women and girls, and the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical causes.
Upon the Commission releasing its final report at a public closing ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec on June 3, 2019, Women’s Equality was tasked to lead the government of New Brunswick’s response to this report.
Between 2020 and 2022, Women’s Equality held engagement sessions around the province with Indigenous community members to seek feedback, identify priorities, and facilitate dialogue on working together on the Calls for Justice. The information was compiled, and the provincial departments committed to the development of actions that would begin to address the key priority areas identified at the engagement session.
The government of New Brunswick’s response: Weaving Our Voices Together: New Brunswick’s Path to Safety for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People is an early step in our collective journey.
The government of New Brunswick is poised to respectfully support and participate as a partner with the Wabanaki Nations (Wolastoqey Nation, Mi’gmaq Nation, and the Peskotomuhkati Nation); Indigenous organizations; Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people; and the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people to enable dialogue and progress towards ending violence.
Goal 1:, Safety and Security
Outcome. Indigenous women, their children, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are safe.
Actions (Click to expand)
1.1 Expand Indigenous Domestic Violence Outreach Program.
1.2 Provide training sessions on intimate partner violence, the danger assessment tool, and the It’s Your Business: A Domestic & Intimate Partner Violence Workplace Toolkit with Indigenous communities, organizations, and service providers.
1.3 Work with Indigenous communities to identify and designate assisters for the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Act.
1.4 Renew and seek resources to implement the New Brunswick Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Girls.
1.5 Identify and seek resources to implement specific areas of work with Indigenous communities and organizations as part of Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in NB: A Framework for Action.
1.6 Continue to provide stable funding (within existing budget) to Gignoo Transition House.
1.7 Work with partners to discuss new or continued funding opportunities for necessary supports and services relating to adults with a disability (including those aging out of Jordan’s Principle) as well as adult protection.
1.8 Continue to work with Indigenous communities and the federal government collaboratively to address gaps in adult protection services in Indigenous communities.
1.9 Participate in trilateral coordination agreement discussion tables to support the implementation of Indigenous child welfare legislation.
Goal 2:, Health and Well-Being
Outcome. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people attain full health, healing, and wellness that is self-determined. Health disparities and inequities are eliminated.
Actions (Click to expand)
2.1 Collaborate with Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations to co-create, fund, and support Indigenous-led initiatives that are culturally safe, trauma-informed programs and services that will improve access to primary health care and addiction and mental health services.
2.2 Facilitate basic mandatory training for all health-care staff on intergenerational trauma, anti-Indigenous racism, cultural safety and competency, and Indigenous ways of health and healing, and cultural awareness, sensitivity and realities.
2.3 Create culturally safe policies and supports within provincial hospitals.
2.4 Increase access to mobile crisis units within Indigenous communities.
2.5 Partner with private sector to create an Indigenous mental health awareness video that will help provide information and awareness of mental health services and supports for Indigenous Peoples in New Brunswick.
Goal 3:, Justice and Policing
Outcome. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ have access to culturally safe police and justice response.
Actions (Click to expand)
3.1 Determine the success and access to Awakening Cultural Identity and Spirit program for possible expansion based on an evaluation of the program.
3.2 Pursue and facilitate training on conflict resolution and cultural safety training with police services as a means to strengthen the relationships between the communities and policing services.
3.3 Support Indigenous communities in New Brunswick to develop restorative justice programs and enhance restorative justice capacity in New Brunswick.
3.4 Use of Pre-Sentence Report with Gladue factors included is used for both Indigenous youth and adults instead of a Gladue Report in New Brunswick. Justice and Public Safety will continue discussions with Indigenous organizations who are leading on establishing Gladue writers in New Brunswick.
3.5 Implement mandatory and periodic training of Justice and Public Safety staff, court staff, and all who participate in the justice system, focused on areas of Indigenous cultures, current realities and histories, including distinctions-based training.
3.6 Conduct an assessment of the Indigenous Community Program Officer Program and raise community awareness of positions within the communities and the following duties linked to the positions: police community relations and cross-cultural programs.
3.7 Enact missing persons legislation.
3.8 Justice and Public Safety will continue discussions with Indigenous organizations in New Brunswick who are leading the work on establishing Indigenous court workers in New Brunswick.
Goal 4:, Education and Employment
Outcome. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people have economic security and receive education that reaffirms their nationhood, language, knowledges, and heritage.
Actions (Click to expand)
4.1 Conduct labour market research focused on the Indigenous population base in New Brunswick. Identify, a) labour market barriers, b) areas of labour market demand, and c) areas for training to meet demand.
4.2 Collaborate on focused tech and trades information sessions and opportunities, specifically for Indigenous youth.
4.3 Explore opportunities for the creation of culturally safe workplaces within the government of New Brunswick and potential for private sector employers.
4.4 Implement a Skills Trades Exploration Program (STEP) focused on Indigenous women.
4.5 Increase employment opportunities for Indigenous people in both public and private sector utilizing Future Wabanaki Program.
4.6 Further employment prioritization of Indigenous employees across all areas of government.
4.7 Continue reform of the Social Assistance Program. During the initial phase, Social Assistance indexation of rates was introduced under the Transitional Assistance Program and the Extended Benefits Program, along with rate increases.
4.8 Develop a process for including mandatory training on Indigenous cultural awareness, sensitivity, and safety training as part of public sector staff workplace performance evaluations.
4.9 Begin the process of focused recruitment for Indigenous Peoples to work within the government of New Brunswick and explore and address barriers that may exist for them seeking and obtaining employment in the government of New Brunswick.
4.10 Francophone sector: Revision of the First Nations themes in the curriculum of the 4th grade social studies programs and the creation of a learning resource to support them.
4.11 Francophone Sector: Systemic racism - creation of a survey for school staff and students in grades 6-12. These surveys will be administered by January 2023.
4.12 Anglophone Sector: Co-construction of the Wabanaki Holistic Learning Framework to ensure that curriculum meaningfully includes Wabanaki ways of knowing, being, and doing.
4.13 Anglophone Sector: Offering of hands-on, experiential opportunities in trades in Indigenous communities.
Goal 5:, Culture and Rights
Outcome. Wabanaki cultures, languages, knowledges, and heritage are protected and promoted. New Brunswick’s population is accurately knowledgeable of the Wabanaki people.
Actions (Click to expand)
5.1 Establish a dedicated grant specifically for Indigenous Peoples on projects related to culture and heritage.
5.2 Collaborate with Indigenous partners on the promotion of business, culture, and heritage on websites, social media, and other forms of advertising for New Brunswick.
5.3 Initiate analysis of the federal Indigenous Languages Act to determine provincial implications.
5.4 Collaborate to develop and deliver mandatory Indigenous cultural awareness modules to all government of New Brunswick employees. Coordinate cultural awareness training for ministers and members of the Legislative Assembly. Training must include a component on violence against Indigenous women and girls and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
- Indigenous women (61%) are more likely to experience some form of Intimate Partner Violence in their lifetime (since the age of 15) compared with non-Indigenous women (44%).
- Physical and sexual violence are often considered more severe forms of Intimate Partner Violence. A significantly higher proportion of Indigenous women (44%) compared with non-Indigenous women (25%) experienced either physical or sexual abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- Indigenous women (42%) are almost twice as likely as non-Indigenous women (22%) to experience physical abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- Indigenous women are approximately three times more likely than non-Indigenous women to have an intimate partner in their lifetime who: threatened them with a weapon (13% versus 4% of non-Indigenous women); choked them (17% versus 6%); or beat them (16% versus 6%).
- Indigenous women are more likely to experience violent victimization (physical assault and sexual assault) in their lifetime by other persons (55%) compared with that of an intimate partner (44%).
- LGBTQ2S Indigenous women (86%) are more likely to experience Intimate Partner Violence in their lifetime compared with non- LGBTQ2S Indigenous women (59%).
- More Indigenous women with a disability (74%) have experienced Intimate Partner Violence in their lifetime compared with Indigenous women without a disability (46%).
1 Heidinger, L., (2021). Intimate partner violence: Experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada, 2018. Juristat. Statistic Canada. Catalogue no. 85-002-X. Retrieved online from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00007-eng.htm