@KatieinBkln, @loveislouder, this is exactly why Canadians need to be every bit as ashamed of ourselves as a lot of Americans are now about the racial issues recently brought to light thanks to Ferguson, etc. We don't have the same history or issues with black citizens, but First Nations people? Yeah, it's as bad and worse because they are so, so marginalized.
Our treatment of our aboriginal people is deplorable and part of a broken system that has been perpetuating the cycle of poverty and mistrust of government/law enforcement/social assistance agencies. It's a huge mess and it is complicated and it is the biggest, most glaring example of racism in Canadian society and nobody talks about it even as aboriginal women continue to go missing and worse. I am fired up about this and it makes me sick that we have done this to so many people and then things like this missing girl happen and no one does anything.
It makes me furious that I walk by ten or fifteen homeless people every day on my way to work and every.single.one. of them is aboriginal. It is pretty damn clear that something is wrong.
I want to show stuff like this to my friend from Ontario who insists that "Canada doesn't have race problems like America does." I mean, no, they aren't identical problems, but I don't think that's what she meant.
Yeah. People have their heads in the sand about it just as much as any American who claims that there is no racism left in the US. For goodness' sake, many reservations in my province don't even have safe drinking water. And First Nations people are over-represented in pretty well every poverty/homelessness/addiction/crime statistic you care to dredge up. It is a freaking tragedy and no one seems to care.
I'm in Alberta, not Manitoba, but I'd be happy to post this on FB too to try to get it circulating.
I'll post it as well. I am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan so much of my facebook is from there and unfortunately we have a lot of native female trafficking there. Many of them come from Canada.
EDIT: I hope I didn't scare you more. I just thought it was worth a shot.
I'm so sorry to hear this. Where are you located again? Maybe you can post the link here to get the word out across more channels. I really hope she is found safe.
@loveislouder I was just on CBC and saw that they found her and thought of you. I am so glad your family got a happy ending to a terrible situation, it's far to rare with these situations here.
I'm ashamed of our police who told your cousin that her daughter just got herself into trouble. I feel like saying something like that because she's aboriginal or a 15 year-old girl is like saying a rape victim was asking for it by wearing revealing clothing.
Re: My Cousin's Daughter is Missing
I don't know much. Just that they found her. YAY!! Thanks everybody!
"Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."