Toronto must do more to respond to MMIWG inquiry’s calls for justice, city report says

Thestar.com
Feb. 20, 2020
Francine Kopun

Indigenous people in Toronto need land where they can confidently participate in cultural ceremonies, they need stable funding for programs and services, and police and public servants need more specific anti-racism training, a city committee was told last week.

The recommendations were contained in a report on the city of Toronto’s response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, released last summer. The federal inquiry included 231 “calls for justice” -- 100 of them relevant in some way to city governments.

While Toronto provides programs and services to its Indigenous population, important steps need to be taken in order to fulfil the recommendations that arose from the federal inquiry, according to the city report.

“We did hear that Toronto is the best city for services and I’m proud of that and I know it to be true,” said Mandy Wesley, the city’s consultant on Toronto’s role in implementing the calls for justice that arose from the MMIWG inquiry.

Wesley and Lauren Kimura, of the city’s Indigenous Affairs Office, presented the findings to the city’s Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee on Feb. 11.

“Nowhere in Canada are there as many direct Indigenous-led, Indigenous-delivered services for Indigenous peoples.”

The problem is that funding isn’t always reliable and can be difficult to access.

“There is a lack of long-term commitment coupled with insufficient resources and the autonomy to deliver the programs and services in a way that is culturally appropriate,” according to the draft report, which also pointed out that qualifying requirements are time-consuming and rigid.

“These programs need funding from the city, but funding also requires so much paperwork for such a little amount of money and they micromanage what you’re doing with the money,” according to Frances Sanderson, executive director of Nishnawbe Homes and one of the experts consulted for the report.

The report also points to the inconsistency of services, including the Toronto Police Service’s Aboriginal Peacekeeping Unit, established in 1992. At the time of its inception, when the Indigenous population was .4 per cent of the city, the unit had five dedicated police officers.

According to estimates from the city of Toronto, the city’s Indigenous population is now three per cent, and Toronto police have one officer assigned to the unit, according to the report.

Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray confirmed the service currently has one police officer and one administrator working in the APU, but said 10 officers communicate with and help the unit.

“The unit, despite a reduction in numbers due to attrition, has expanded its mandate, outreach efforts and community partnerships,” Gray said.

Both public servants and Toronto police need to receive more Indigenous Cultural Training, specifically from the point of view of Indigenous women and girls and two-spirited people (those who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit), according to the report.

“We talk about this epidemic,” said Wesley, referring to the murder of Indigenous women and girls. “We know that at the crux, at the heart of it, is racism and systemic discrimination that permeates through institutions and through society.”

Making others see the world through the lens of Indigenous women and girls is an essential tool in fighting that, Wesley said.

Wesley said access to land for ceremonial healing is critical for Indigenous people.

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A weekly ceremony called Neechi Sharing Circle, which brings the community together to drum, sing and pray in Allan Gardens, has been continuously hindered by city staff, according to the report.

Park benches that were used by people participating in the ceremony have been removed, affecting the ability of older people, disabled people, and people with substance abuse issues, to attend.

A lack of co-ordination was cited as a further problem -- while the city offers numerous supports and services, the information isn’t being effectively communicated to the Indigenous population.

The consultation found that 27 per cent of city divisions were already engaged in putting into action the recommendations of the MMIWG inquiry, including Toronto Public Health and the shelter, support and housing administration.

The committee voted to investigate establishing a permanent city of Toronto “calls to justice” office.