‘We need you to be our ally': Josie Nepinak on Canada Day, ‘ongoing genocide,' and walking a ‘shared path' toward reconciliation

Yahoo

2 days ago

For Josie Nepinak, July 1 marks a day of reflection as an Indigenous leader, grandmother and member of her community. The president of the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), Nepinak views Canada Day as an opportunity — not to erase painful history, but to reflect, to educate, and to walk a 'shared path' forward.
'Canada's birthday is July 1, but it's everyone's birthday, in the fact that we can celebrate who we are collectively,' says Nepinak. 'It's not about the differences that we have. It really is about the commonalities we need to focus on.'
Nepinak's work as NWAC's president is rooted in initiatives to advocate for the rights, well-being, and advancement of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people across Canada.
Her focus is on stopping what she calls an 'ongoing genocide' — a crisis that continues to devastate her community, particularly through the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
As we focus on the direction of the country this Canada Day, Nepinak's message is clear:
'We, as Indigenous, need you. We need you to be our ally. We need you to be our voice. Because sometimes our voice is not enough,' says Nepinak. 'As First Nations people of this country, we have the opportunity to create that friendship, in a shared path of reconciliation. Not one behind the other, but as equal partners.'
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As July 1 rolls in, it marks the end of National Indigenous History Month in Canada, highlighted by National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. Another important day is June 3, this time marking the sixth anniversary of the National Inquiry's Final Report, "Reclaiming Power and Place," on MMIWG.
The report documents the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women. It concludes with 231 'Calls for Justice' to aid in reconciliation efforts. But six years later, progress is stagnant. Of the 231 Calls for Justice, only two have been fully completed.
'If we were to do a report card on this issue, we would definitely give it a failing grade as to the action on the inquiry,' says Nepinak.
The NWAC president believes the 'Government of Canada needs to have a serious look at why these recommendations are not implemented," since it's "ultimately about saving the lives of Canada's most vulnerable people.'
On a daily basis, Nepinak scrolls social media to see new faces of women and girls who have gone missing. According to Stats-Can data from 2009-21, Indigenous women are murdered at a rate six times higher than non-Indigenous counterparts. Thousands upon thousands have been ripped away from their communities, oftentimes with very few answers.
'It certainly is ongoing genocide,' says Nepinak. 'It certainly is a disappointment and a huge frustration for Indigenous peoples across the country, especially Indigenous women, who have been fighting for decades for this issue of actionable items.'
Forty-eight years ago, Nepinak's advocacy for this issue began as a teenager. It was when her aunt was murdered in Winnipeg, a city that's the epicentre for MMIWG.
In 2011, Nepinak's cousin, Tanya, also went missing. Police believe she was murdered, with an initial charge being laid against Sean Lamb. The charge was ultimately stayed after police weren't able to find her body. Lamb has in turn been convicted of killing two other Indigenous women.
In regards to her aunt's case, 48 years later, her murderer has never been found.
'There is no accountability. We continue to grieve for her, for her and her children, who are now the grandchildren that she was never able to hold. … All of those issues matter, because when you have that empty seat, whether at your dinner table, your special events, birthday parties, you do feel that loss,' says Nepinak.
'Whether it's 48 years ago or whether it was last week, it still can feel the same.'
Nepinak's work is rooted in making sure that no other family has to experience the same pain.
Starting in 1963 at five years old, until her late-teenage years, Nepinak attended Pine Creek and Mackay residential schools in Manitoba. It's a period of her life she doesn't speak about publicly, instead she focuses on doing what she can do to heal. She suffers from PTSD, as she started to recognize symptoms as an adult, such as anxiety and depression.
Nepinak, 66, says she always struggled with the word 'survivor' in its association with those who attended residential schools, since the trauma continues to impact their communities.
'If we have survived,' why are there ongoing problems with the MMIWG epidemic, along with high rates of suicide, mortality, homelessness and addiction among Indigenous peoples, asks the NWAC president.
'There are thousands of Indigenous women, thousands of Indigenous children across this country who do not have their mothers ... which in turn will make them vulnerable as well,' says Nepinak.
Trauma in Indigenous communities continues to form, while it's also passed on from previous generations. That can be from epigenetics, to continuing patterns of abuse that were experienced in places such as residential schools, where thousands of Indigenous kids died. Along with policies geared toward assimilation, these institutions have a history of physical and sexual violence, up until the last school was closed in 1997.
According to a Stats-Can 2023 report, 26 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced childhood sexual violence, compared to 9.2 per cent of non-Indigenous women. Thirteen per cent of Indigenous peoples with a current or ex-partner experienced violence in the past five years, double the rate of non-Indigenous people (5.7 per cent).
These problems force many to leave their communities, such as First Nation reserves. It's in hope for a different life, oftentimes in urban centres, such as Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver. It's on these journeys where Indigenous women have been killed, such as on B.C.'s infamous Highway of Tears. But it's also when they arrive in urban centres, where neglect continues as they struggle to find a sense of belonging and safety.
When I say genocide, folks are not comfortable with it, it makes people anxious. … I would ask people to look at it within the context of the Indigenous women's experience in Canada.Josie Nepinak, President of Native Women's Association Canada
Throughout history, Indigenous women have especially been targeted with genocidal policies, in an effort to 'get rid of the Indian in this country,' says Nepinak. From forced sterilization, to the removal of their children during the Sixties Scoop, to how the Indian Act has sought to enfranchise them and their predecessors.
'The target were the women, because it's the women who are the caregivers, the nurturers, the medicine pickers, the women who hold the clan mothers, who hold communities together,' says Nepinak.
By being a status Indian, Indigenous peoples are afforded certain rights, such as being able to live on reserve land, while being entitled to programs and services from federal and provincial governments. Many have lost their status and have become enfranchised; that includes voluntary cases, in an effort to avoid having their children attend residential schools.
Nepinak originally lost her Indian-status after getting married to a non-Indigenous person in 1978. It was a rule that was not applied to Indigenous men; instead in their case, they could even pass on their status to non-Indigenous women.
Nepinak was able to reclaim her status after an amendment to the Act in 1985. However, due to her daughter also marrying a non-Indigenous person, it means that her grandson doesn't currently qualify for treaty rights, as he falls under 'a second generation cut-off.'
The NWAC president finds it "disgusting" that someone in Ottawa is able to make the decision whether or not a member of her family can qualify for Indian status. She calls the experience in relation to her grandson 'very painful.'
Currently, as of June 2025, Bill S-2 is before the Canadian Senate, with the goal of addressing the inequities of the Indian Act to help more Indigenous peoples reclaim status.
Nepinak says that by becoming enfranchised, it pushes 'Indigenous, First Nations women further and further into the margins, by stripping them of their individual rights and benefits.' These problems become even more polarizing as they start 'floating between' their community and urban centres, as they lose financial and social services, along with a connection to their culture.
The NWAC president says the role of their organization is to be empathetic, non-judgmental, and to provide resources to help those in their communities, whether they live on a reserve and have Indian status, or not.
One of their pillar programs is the Safe Passage initiative. Along with hosting a database that works to capture the extent of this genocide, it provides resources and guidances for those in need, while finding ways to help them stay connected to their culture.
Nepinak calls on the federal government to allocate more resources, such as toward intersecting issues around human trafficking, housing, mental health supports, emergency shelters and transitional homes.
Without these resources, women become more vulnerable to survival economies, such as sex work. A 2011 City of Vancouver study found that 40 per cent of sex workers are Indigenous, despite making up two per cent of Vancouver's population.
It's problems like these that make truth and reconciliation an ongoing process, and not just the focus of a few days during the year. Nepinak wants municipalities, and the systems small and large surrounding them, to not get in the habit of displaying the 'wooden Indian.' It's an analogy that refers to the practice of making Indigenous peoples front and centre just for special occasions.
'That's not reconciliation,' says Nepinak. 'That, to me, just doesn't sit well, because if truly you're going to appreciate Indigenous peoples … get to know our culture, our language, who we are, what our history is, and that includes the ugly history.'
It's a collective responsibility, through all levels of government and our education system. Along with learning the history, Nepinak believes it's important people learn the values of Indigenous communities, to help create a society where they'll feel accepted and understood.
This agenda becomes more important with the recent wave of immigration that Canada has experienced, says Nepinak, as new Canadians have a chance to learn what truly makes the fabric of Canada.
The NWAC president has noticed a shift in how July 1 is perceived among her communities. Five years ago, she says, it was more common to hear people dismiss the thought of marking the day, behind the belief of 'That's not my Canada.'
Now, for Nepinak, it holds a different meaning. While it might not be the case for everyone, she sees it as an opportunity to come together and move forward, knowing that Indigenous peoples need to recognize their trauma and where it comes from in order to 'begin to heal.'
For NWAC, moving forward is about finding ways that Indigenous people can contribute to Canada's economy, as they help thousands of Indigenous women across the country toward their business goals. The 'Be The Drum' program leads that charge, from providing business coaching, to helping participants become aware of financial resources, such as grants to help expand their markets.
Ultimately, it's about 'finding your space within a society that's not always been nice to Indigenous people,' says Nepinak, as we strive toward 'mino bimaadiziwin,' a Anishinaabemowin phrase for the 'good life.'
For non-Indigenous people, it's about creating an environment for all parts of Canada's society to thrive, which can mean questioning your 'own self perceived thoughts on what Indigenous people are like.' It's the conversations around reconciliation that are the 'easy part.' Instead it's the actions that will challenge us, says Nepinak, as she references the late-Murray Sinclair.
'We require in truth and reconciliation to have all Canadians stand with us on the issues that matter,' says Nepinak. 'I believe that July 1 is really and truly about the country that we live in, the beautiful country of Canada, that we share, the land, that we share the air that we breathe, and the many systems that have built this country to where we are. …
'Let's have truth and reconciliation, let's have peace, let's have healing, and let's understand each other in a better way so we can reduce some of the systemic racism that happens in this country.'