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National Action Plan on MMIWG2S BC Regional Engagement Written Submission Survey

Thank you for taking the time to consider submitting your input and guidance into the BC region’s engagement process co-hosted by the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) Women’s Representative and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Women’s Council.

Written submissions are being collected on behalf of the Assembly of First Nations Women’s Council to help inform the development of the National Action Plan to implement Reclaiming Power & Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 231 Calls to Justice.

Call to Justice 1.1* of the 231 Calls to Justice calls upon all levels of government to develop and implement a National Action Plan in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. The AFN Women’s Council have been asked to gather input and guidance from family members and survivors in each region of Canada. The BC region is currently offering three-pathways to submit input and guidance from family members and survivors at this phase of regional engagement sessions: (1) 8 engagement sessions hosted throughout May-June 2021, (2) video submissions, and (3) this written submission form.

Completing your written submission is voluntary, and your responses will be incorporated into a “What we Heard” report that will include information collected through the three pathways. The ‘What We Heard” report will be prepared by the co-facilitators of the BC region.

For more information visit: events.bcafn.ca

The following 6 questions are meant to be prompts to collect your input and guidance on the areas of urgency, importance, and necessity to ensure that violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples. Please feel free to answer the questions you would like and leave others blank. Any input which you choose to share is valued and appreciated.

*Call to Justice 1.1 We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous governments(hereinafter “all governments”), in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, to develop and implement a NationalAction Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, as recommended in ourInterim Report and in support of existing recommendations by other bodies of inquiry and other reports. As part of the National Action Plan, we call upon all governments to ensure that equitable access to basic rights such as employment, housing, education, safety, and health care is recognized as a fundamental means of protecting Indigenous and human rights, re- sourced and supported as rights-based programs founded on substantive equality. All programs must be no-barrier and must apply regardless of Status or location.

Governments should:

i.Table and implement a National Action Plan that is flexible and distinctions-based, and that includesregionally specific plans with devoted funding and timetables for implementation that are rooted in the localcultures and communities of diverse Indigenous identities, with measurable goals and necessary resources dedicated to capacity building, sustainability, and long-term solutions.

ii.Make publicly available on an annual basis reports of ongoing actions and developments in measurable goals related to the National Action Plan.
1.List 1-3 areas of urgency that need to be addressed immediately in your region to end violence against MMIWG2S+.
2.The following are the themes captured in the 231 Calls to Justice. Circle 5 themes you would like to see implemented in the immediate short term.
3.How do you see First Nations values, knowledge, and culture woven into the National Action Plan? Which existing First Nation groups would you like to see involved to ensure this happens? Or do you see a new specific First Nations advisory committee formed to oversee this?
4.How can governments better support family members and survivors while the implementation of the National Action Plan happens?
5.If there are examples of addressing violence in your community or region that are working well that you would like to see enhanced or expanded, please share them here.
6.Is there anything else you would like to share to contribute towards development of the National Action Plan?
Thank you for taking the time to submit your written submission to inform the “What We Heard” report for the BC region. We appreciate you taking the time to share your lived experience, knowledge, and wisdom with us. Your input is very important to the engagement process.