Mr. Speaker, Juanita Migwans, also known as “Winnie”, a 30-year-old, first nation woman from M'Chigeeng First Nation has been missing since October 2. Her family, friends and the police fear she may have been taken by drug or human traffickers, or worse.
Last year, I stood in the House to decry the lack of resources provided to indigenous policing. UCCM Anishnaabe Police is doing all it can, but needs dedicated crime units to deal with increased human and drug trafficking.
Juanita’s case is a tragic reminder of the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We must immediately recognize first nations police as essential services and fund them at a level that is equitable with all other non-indigenous police services. We must provide indigenous people with resources and develop a national missing indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people database that can be shared throughout Canada via a downloadable app. We must also ensure that the red dress alert is launched nationally.
Let there be no more missing sisters.