Trudeau government fails to help missing aboriginal women and girls

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s early election campaign promised to combat one of the most pressing issues facing the nation in modern times, i.e. the persecution of Canada’s Indigenous People’s. However, the unfortunate circumstance is that Trudeau’s promises have been unfounded.

According to recent statistics, over 80 percent of Aboriginal People who live on reserves live below the poverty line. While this was also the circumstance under the Conservatives, it is evidently worse when a politician lies outright to your face. At least the Conservatives did not make an overt claim to solve the problem, whereas the Trudeau Government did…

Regardless of certain poverty issues, the high rates of missing Indigenous Women cannot be overlooked any longer.

Canada Without Poverty, a non-profit organization has recently tweeted,

“Press Release on our coalition's recs to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered #indigenousWomen and Girls “Canada is in the midst of a #humanrightscrisis of its own making."

It should be noted, that the current government’s response to the high rates of murder in the Indigenous Community have been un-coordinated, piecemeal, and ineffective.

In fact, one-quarter of all female homicide victims in Canada were Indigenous, a dishonourable statistic when considering Indigenous People’s of Canada make up only 5 percent of the countries population.

Trudeau’s current public policy has clearly failed the Indigenous People’s of Canada, a population that was promised by this current government a revamped socio-economic status. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like the current Administration has any hope for policy change.

Justin Trudeau told The Canadian Press in 2018 that, "We are a long way from ... starting over or scrapping it,"

"We are certainly alert to the challenges that are being faced with something that was always going to be very, very difficult."

Unfortunately, continuing an Aboriginal policy that has overtly failed, is both myopic and intolerant.

However, I must concede that the current Administration is not solely to blame. Indigenous leaders themselves must overlook corruption and concede that their women are suffering.

A nation and/or community is morally judged based on their conduct towards the most vulnerable individuals in that specific population. In this particular circumstance in Canada, young Aboriginal girls have been targeted at unprecedented levels, and are surely the most vulnerable.

One of Prime Minister Trudeau’s early attempts to solve this impeding crisis, was his implementation of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2016. This organization, while likely good intentioned, is utterly useless.

Since its formation in September of 2016, the rate of missing Indigenous Women and Girls has actually gone up. Additionally, poverty levels amongst Aboriginal reserves have remained largely stagnant, at unprecedented levels of low socio-economic status. Few Indigenous Canadian’s have been able to transfer into the middle class during this Administration.

As a Jewish Canadian, I do foster certain positive emotions towards the Indigenous People’s of Canada. Their land-claims have had similar connotations to those facing the Jewish People in Israel. The Zionist and Aboriginal communities of Canada are bridging ever-closer, and we will continuously help this community against the current failed administrative policies, many of which have come from the Trudeau Government.