This article contains mention of topics surrounding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement. Hotline numbers and abuse resources can be found at safesociety.ca/indigenous-people/.
On February 14th, 2026, the 35th annual Women’s Memorial March took place in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The event serves to remember those stolen by gender-based violence as well as to remind Vancouver officials of the systemic issues which allow these crimes to occur at staggering rates. The Women’s Memorial March is very closely tied with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ (MMIWG) movement, having been started and supported in large part by Indigenous Peoples.
In honour of the walk, I would like to look back at some of the recent history of the MMIWG movement in the hopes of restating its importance and relevance. I am a white person researching these histories with the help of Indigenous resource centres like the X̱wi7x̱wa Library and the official website for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and I want to thank those who work hard to provide this information to the public.
On September 1st, 2016, the National Inquiry of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls officially began following an initial pre-inquiry process which set terms and costs. The aim of the project was to raise awareness of the disproportionate rate of crimes against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLBGTQ+ Peoples as well as provide material support systems for Indigenous Peoples who have experienced or are close to someone who has experienced sexual or physical assault. Through 15 community hearings and nine knowledge keeper, expert and institutional hearings, which heard testimonies from 2836 individuals across multiple nations encompassed in the colonial borders of Canada, the final report was created.
The report was published on June 3rd, 2019, and described the efforts taken to provide more support systems for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ Peoples alongside their family and inner circles. It also focused on youth education and promoted broader knowledge about the inherent value of all Indigenous women and girls.
Though the national inquiry brought widespread awareness to shocking statistics like the significant amount of First Nations (64%) and Métis (65%) women who have experienced physical or sexual violence (appalling even when compared to non-Indigenous women’s 45%). Almost two-thirds of Indigenous women had reported experiencing physical or sexual violence in 2018, yet statistics were no surprise for many Indigenous communities already affected by these disproportionate rates of violence.
The project was launched in part due to promises made by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his 2015 election campaign, but it had been a long time coming. The outcry from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples at the losses experienced by their communities and the lack of a government response is evident in the persistence of the Women’s Memorial March itself.
The initial stages of the national inquiry came long after the inception of the Women’s Memorial March, which began in 1992 following the discovery of the mutilated and sexually assaulted body of Cheryl Ann Joe, a shíshálh woman and mother of three children. The brutal murder devastated and outraged her community, who took to the streets of Vancouver to remember her and the many other Indigenous women whose lives were taken in similar ways. The March serves not only to condemn their murders but memorialize their lives, their importance to their communities, and simply their place as Peoples in the world.
One of the critical findings of the report is that systemic change is necessary in order to provide support to the individuals, families, and communities affected by such violence. Though memory is incredibly important and the past will always fuel the future, the present is what needs to change in order to lower the number of people stolen from their communities. Getting involved with marches, community events, and government hearings is incredibly important to enacting systemic and material change.I would highly recommend doing your own research on the history of the movement and memorial march, as it expands far beyond what is discussed here.
Anishinaabe and Cree journalist Crystal Greene wrote an excellent article titled “With ‘grief and a desire for change,’ community gathers to remember MMIWG2S+ in ‘Winnipeg’”, covering a march inspired by the one covered here. The final report for the inquiry is also published on the official website and contains pertinent information and statistics. Literature suggestions from the X̱wi7x̱wa Library on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls include Enough is Enough: Aboriginal Women Speak Out by Janet Silman, Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story by Kim Senklip Harvey, and Making Space for Indigenous Feminism edited by Joyce Green. I personally recommend Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson and Split Tooth written by Tanya Tagaq and illustrated by Jamie Hernandez.
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