Efforts to Build Awareness
OTTAWA – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) have partnered on an awareness campaign on murdered and missing women. The campaign features three new posters. The posters focus on preventing family violence, raising awareness about the importance of the timely reporting of missing persons, and highlighting why every detail counts in a missing person’s case.
This awareness campaign supports increased national efforts by the three partner organizations aimed at preventing family violence and raising awareness about the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
The RCMP will make these posters available through its Aboriginal Policing Sections across Canada in French and English. NWAC and AFN will distribute the posters through their provincial and territorial member associations and community networks across the country.
“It is the moral duty of every citizen to report and prevent violence against the most vulnerable members of our society: women and children. It is also everyone’s responsibility to provide any and all information to officials about a person who has gone missing in a timely manner to help bring them to a safe place and lessen their risk of greater harm,” stated President Michèle Audette. NWAC is pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with the RCMP and AFN on an awareness campaign to address the issues of family violence and the high numbers of missing Aboriginal persons.
“The AFN is proud to be a partner in this collaborative effort with the RCMP and NWAC to end violence against Indigenous women and girls,” said AFN Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis. “This awareness campaign is just one initiative as part of our ongoing efforts to prevent family violence and seek justice for the victims of violence and their families. We call on all stakeholders to participate with us, taking immediate actions needed in areas like prevention and support for shelters and services, including cultural and spiritual components that respect First Nations diversity to help ensure Indigenous women and girls are safe and secure. We welcome all efforts to prevent and end violence and we will continue to press for and take action.”
The RCMP, through this cooperative effort with NWAC and AFN, is dedicated to preventing family violence and reducing the incidences of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Deputy Commissioner Janice Armstrong, RCMP Contract and Aboriginal Policing commented, “This partnership is so important to us, because together we’re much stronger in raising awareness about these issues. The protection of women and girls is a priority for all of us, and our hope is that this campaign will bring us closer to our ultimate goal of safer communities throughout Canada.”
In Thunder Bay, the FULL MOON MEMORY WALK will take place on Tuesday September 9, 2014 and will be followed by a FEAST for Family & Friends of Missing/Murdered Anishinabe Women to take place on Friday September 26, 2014. 
