Canada's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and the Imperative for a More Inclusive Perspective

Abstract

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) emerged to bring attention to the overrepresentation of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. It has raised awareness about systemic racism and sexism as well as social and economic conditions experienced by Canada's Indigenous population. Yet, research shows that Indigenous males are the most likely to be murdered in Canada (Mulligan, Axford, & Soecki, 2016). Since Indigenous men are going missing and are murdered in disturbing numbers, and they are fathers, brothers, and sons to Indigenous women and girls, it is understandable that many in the Indigenous community wanted to include them in the inquiry. Our analysis explores how the MMIWG and discourses about inclusion and exclusion have been framed in ways that limit interpretations about the root causes of problems experienced by Indigenous people, especially when they exclude an important part of the Indigenous population—Indigenous males. We draw upon Indigenous perceptions of the inquiry and analyses of social norms and stereotypes in order to explore the conflicting positions and experiences associated with missing and murdered Indigenous people in Canada. We conclude by exploring the need for a more comprehensive inquiry. We recognize that a holistic model of inquiry that honours the voices of Indigenous communities is crucial to a proper investigation into missing and murdered Indigenous people in Canada.