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An anonymous poster wrote to CrazyBitchesRus the following: “…no seems to have noticed that NWAC has laid off all the Sisters In Spirit staff. The NWAC SIS department is closed with only an acting director there to write the final report.” Apologies. We have noticed. You're right, we should have posted. Here's what's been happening and how folks can continue to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, who have been abandoned by government as well as native leaders.

Background: Since the 1980s more than 500 Indigenous women in Canada have gone missing or been murdered, half of these cases have never been solved. The issue was first raised by Amnesty International in 2004, and for a time the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) championed the issue, under their Sister’s in Spirit campaign.

In the 2010 budget the federal government promised 10 million dollars would be set aside to address violence against Indigenous women. Precious little of that money is actually going where it can help. The lion’s share of the $10M went to the RCMP to set up a national police support centre for missing persons and unidentified remains by 2013. The centre will become the third branch of the Canadian Police Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, but it will NOT have a separate section dedicated for Aboriginal women.

$1.8 M over three years went to NWAC for “public education” – essentially to teach Indigenous women how to avoid violence (blaming the victims are we?). But it was a deal signed with the devil, because in order to get the cash NWAC had to agree never to dump the term “Sister’s in Spirit" and promise to stay away from vigils and advocacy. They also have to dump the database they had been keeping to collect the names and other information about missing and murdered Indigenous women. There is no other database like it. No one else in Canada collects this information, and as we can see from the RCMP they don't plan to. All evidence points to the fact that Indigenous women are at higher risk, no one is addressing the factors that put them at high risk of violence, and the families that NWAC once brought together for their past campaigns have been abandoned.

Despite government attempts to squash the Sisters in spirit movement, families of missing and murdered women have bound together and have continued to hold vigils. They have a fund-raising event coming up in Ottawa on Friday April 29. Details are below, including contact info and they also have a site on facebook. It shoudl be a good event. If your in Ottawa turn out to do what you can.

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URGENT: Non-status Indians -Women's groups are poised to kill C-3, the Sharon McIvor Bill

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Bill C-3 aka the Sharon McIvor Bill is being threatened from an unlikely source: First Nations women, particularly Sharon McIvor and the Native Women’s Association of Canada. They have been lobbying MPs hard to kill C-3, sent every MP a letter and it looks like they have the support of the BQ and the Liberals to defeat C-3. Read Sharon's letter here.

While I have long supported Sharon McIvor, I do not agree with these latest actions. So many of our people have been watching this Bill with hope and excitement. I cannot support any action that puts their chance to finally regain status at risk. Read my analysis, if you agree with me, you'd better start emailing MPs and fast. (I have email addresses at the bottom of this post.)

If you remember this bill is the government’s response to the McIvor court decision forcing the government to remove gender discrimination from the Indian Act. An estimated 45,000 individuals could gain status and see their rights restored. However Bill C-3 is not perfect. It does not end all gender discrimination in the Indian Act. For example issues of unstated paternity remain, and there are other limits as well, see Sharon’s Testimony here, and the Quebec Native Women Association’s analysis here.

Sharon and several other witnesses brought these issues to the attention of Parliament's Aboriginal Affairs Committee, however Parliamentary rules restrict how far a committee can amend a bill. Several changes the committee would have liked to make to address Sharon's concerns were ruled out of order.

So Bill C-3 would restore status to at least 45,000 individuals, but it's not perfect and because it's not perfect McIvor and NWAC want it killed. My understanding is that if it is killed Parliamentary rules will prohibit the conservatives from introducing a similar Bill. This means those 45,000 who were hopeful of regaining status will be delayed indefinitely and could lose their chance all together.

Some speculate that killing C-3 would even create a doomsday scenario allowing no new people to register as Status Indians at all until a remedy is found.

It's my opinion that trying to kill C-3 is a dangerous game and that too much can go wrong. I do not believe that the 45,000 people poised to gain status would support killing C-3. But some MPs I have contacted told me I am the very first person to email them in support of the Bill, and unless they hear from others they will do what NWAC and McIvor are asking and kill it.

My two cents: I know Bill C-3 is not perfection… but too many people have waited too long for their rights to be recognized for us to gamble on their chance for justice. We can continue to fight for our other brothers and sisters through other means. If you agree (or I suppose even if you disagree) here's who you can email at Parliament. You don't have to email them individually, one massive email telling them where you stand should be enough.


NDP:

Jean Crowder, NDP Indian Affairs Critic: jean@jeancrowder.ca
Jack Layton, NDP Leader LaytoJ@parl.gc.ca

BQ :

Marc Lemay. Bloc Québécois Indian Affairs critic. EMail: Lemay.M@parl.gc.caGilles Duceppe, M.P.. Chef du Bloc Québécois DucepG@parl.gc.ca

Liberals :

Indian Affairs Critic Todd Russell Russell.T@parl.gc.ca

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Party leader Email: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca

Conservatives :

Minister of Indian Affairs Chuck Strahl : Strahl.C@parl.gc.ca

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: pm@pm.gc.ca

Other Posts on this topic include:

Wednesday November 3, 2010 Another McIvor Update

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 More on McIvor- Canada Given 3-Month Extension to Implement McIvor decision

Thursday, March 11, 2010 McIvor update!!!! How Do the New Legislative Changes to the Indian Act Affect Me?

Saturday, March 6, 2010 Update on McIvor/Indian Status.

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Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell wins President of Native Women's Association

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Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell

(1942 - )

Native women's rights activist

Reprinted courtesy of the Toronto Star Syndicate

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Dedicated to the causes of Native women for more than a quarter of a century, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell is a courageous woman who fought to improve their plight and proved that one person's voice can make a difference.

Jeannette Vivian Corbiere was born on June 21, 1942, on the Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. Belonging to the Nishnawbe people, she spoke Ojibway. Her mother was educated at the Residential School and Teacher's College, while her father was illiterate, never having attended school. Jeannette attended the elementary school, which was run by the Catholic Church and completed up to Grade 10 in the community before leaving for North Bay, Ontario, where she completed high school and business college.

After graduating, she moved to Toronto where she worked as an executive secretary. She also worked for the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto in many capacities, including social, court and youth worker. Later, while working for the Company of Young Canadians, she travelled across the country working with Native communities. In 1965, she was chosen as Indian Princess of Canada.

In 1970, Jeannette married David Lavell, a non-Native, who was a journalism student at Ryerson Institute in Toronto. Shortly after her marriage, she received a notice from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development stating that she was no longer considered an Indian according to section 12 (1) (b) of the Indian Act. It stated "12 (1) The following persons are not entitled to be registered, namely ... (b) a woman who married a person who is not an Indian, unless that woman is subsequently the wife or widow of a person described in section 11." (The Indian Act, 1970).

This section had grave consequences for enfranchised Native women. They lost their Indian status as did any children of the marriage; they could no longer live on the reserve and lost the right to own land or inherit family property; they could not receive treaty benefits or participate in band councils and political or social affairs in the community, and they lost the right to be buried in cemeteries with their ancestors. On the other hand, Native men who married non-Native women were not deprived of these rights and their wives and children were given Indian status.

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell decided to challenge the Indian Act on the basis that section 12 (1) (b) was discriminatory and should be repealed, according to the 1960 Bill of Rights. It was the first case dealing with discrimination by reason of sex. In June 1971, Judge Grossberg ruled against Jeannette Corbiere Lavell in County Court. Not easily deterred, on October 9, 1971, the Lavell case was heard in the Federal Court of Appeal, which ruled unanimously for Lavell. Unfortunately, under pressure from the federal government and Native organizations, this decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In February of 1973, the Lavell and Bedard cases were heard together. Yvonne Bedard was another woman who had lost her Indian status by marrying a non-Native. On August 27, 1973, the Supreme Court, in a majority of 5-4, held that the Bill of Rights did not apply to that section of the Indian Act. Therefore, many Indian women were cut off from their heritage, not by choice, but by an archaic law. The Royal Commission on the Status of Women stated in an earlier report that approximately 4 605 Indian women were enfranchised by marrying white men between the years 1958 and 1968. Years later, Sandra Lovelace, following in Lavell's footsteps, brought the case of status removal to the United Nations International Human Rights Commission, which ruled in her favour. In 1985, section 12 of the Indian Act was repealed.

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell continued her work as one of the founding members of the Ontario Native Women's Association: she was vice-chairwoman from 1972 to 1973 and president from 1974 to 1975. She was also elected one of the vice-presidents of the Native Women's Association of Canada. She also held the position of president of both the Nishnawbe Institute (an organization promoting Native culture) and Anduhyaun Inc. (a residence for Native women in Toronto). She later received her teaching degree from the University of Western Ontario, eventually becoming a school principal. She was also a cabinet appointee to the Commission on the Native Justice System, as well as an education/employment counsellor, and a consultant to the community for the Ontario government.

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell is a woman who has worked tirelessly for change against unfairness and injustice. In a fitting tribute, the Ontario Native Women's Association established the Jeannette Corbiere Lavell Award in 1987 "to be presented annually to a deserving Native Woman demonstrating the same qualities and dedication as Jeannette". (Ontario Native Women's Association. Information, Policy and Administration Manual, 1987, p. 11)

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