Who Speaks for the Missing? Indigenous Women at the Margins of Canadian Governance

Abstract

Indigenous women in Canada are systemically subjected to violence and marginalization by the franchises of colonial governance structures, and other forms of oppression, intersected with one another. This article takes a feminist and decolonial approach to the enduring impact of colonial policies, institutional racism, and the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge systems, leading to disproportionate levels of harm. Based on distinctions gleaned from community-based dialogues and a critical study of national policy structures, the article assesses recent government responses, including amendments to status legislation, the National Gender-based Violence Strategy, and the domestic implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. While these initiatives constitute important steps, there are not enough without a broader structural change. The analysis highlights the need for Indigenous-led, intersectional, and epistemologically diverse responses to the hegemony of power. Sustained transformation must be grounded in Indigenous governance, cultural resurgence, and the recognition of Indigenous women’s authority in shaping justice and policy frameworks.