Video Resource for Families of MMIWT2S Call Out for Community Input and Collaboration

No More Silence and Aboriginal Legal Services are teaming up with their shared expertise to create a video for family and community members who are dealing with the violent loss of a loved one.

Over the years of working with survivors of violence and families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls trans and two spirits, No More Silence and Aboriginal Legal Services have identified significant legal needs among Indigenous community members who have experienced the premature and violent loss of a loved one. Building on the knowledge garnered over the years, this project will create an online video as an educational tool that will assist community members in navigating the legal system and accessing legal supports.

This video will draw on the knowledge of community members as well as those who support them. Our aim is to build and strengthen community capacity by providing this legal resource. We adopt a broad definition of family that includes not only biological family members, but also chosen family. In particular with regard to Indigenous community members involved in the sex trade or street economies or those who identify as Two Spirits or trans there may have been a breakdown in the relationship with the biological family. As well, the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls affects not only those with intimate ties to the individual. Given the nature of kinship and clan ties, the community as a whole suffers and is impacted. In addition, service providers to Indigenous people will also benefit as they will be able to refer their clients to the video as well as learn to better understand the realities of their clients and hopefully how to better support them.

In order to ensure that the video will have a national focus, video production will include a development phase with focus groups to be held in Toronto, British Columbia and Newfoundland to determine the legal resources and supports needed by community members and drive the focus of the video to be created.