The AFN together with the AFN Women’s Council, today released a 44-page action plan “Breathing Life into the Calls for Justice: An Action Plan to End Violence Against First Nations Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People”, urging enhanced and improved coordination efforts and resources to see real action and change to improve the safety of First Nations and assist families seeking justice. The plan was developed with direct input and contributions by First Nations survivors of gender-based violence and families of missing or murdered loved ones through an extensive and still ongoing engagement process led by the AFN Women’s Council.

It makes recommendations for coordinated action in four priority areas:

• Justice: address barriers and inequalities in Canada’s justice system
• Human security: ensure equitable access to basic needs, including shelter, food, and education
• Health and wellness: provide services and programs that are culturally appropriate and trauma informed
• Culture as safety: make cultural identity a priority in all preventative, supportive, and healing activities

This First Nations action plan is part of a broader plan developed in coordination with the National Families and Survivors Circle, federal, provincial/territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments, Indigenous representative organizations, and Indigenous partners and communities.  Both reports are in response to the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released two years ago today.