On the third anniversary of the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry, NWAC’s MMIWG Department has curated and installed a commemorative art exhibition honouring our lost and stolen relatives to the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse (MMIWG2S+) genocide. The art exhibition is located in the “vault” on the first floor of NWAC’s new head office. It features art pieces made by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women across Turtle Island and Inuit Nunangat.

The MMIWG Department also conducted an in-person sharing circle on June 20 with 15 MMIWG2S+ families and survivors at our Chelsea Resiliency Lodge. The sharing circle event was held to gain a better understanding of how families and survivors define safety and what safety indicators can be adopted to monitor their ongoing safety concerns.

In this survivor-centred and trauma-informed space, family members and survivors felt supported and comfortable to share their knowledge, views, concerns, and perspectives on safety. We have used the information form this and other sharing circles to prepare a report, including nine recommendations, for Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada.