The final report of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls has determined that the deaths and disappearances of thousands over decades constitute a Canadian genocide. After nearly three years of gathering information, the commission released 231 recommendations in a 1,200-page report – titled Reclaiming Power and Place – at a ceremony in Gatineau, Que.

University of Guelph Prof. Myrna Dawson, director of U of G’s Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Responses to Violence and the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, is available to speak on the report.

As the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy in Criminal Justice, she studies trends in and social and legal responses to violence, particularly violence against women and femicide.

She was recently a lead author of the first-ever national domestic homicide report, which found Indigenous domestic homicide rates were twice those of non-Indigenous domestic homicide rates. She was also a lead author on the first report on national femicide rates, which found Indigenous women and girls comprise about five per cent of the national population but made up 36 per cent of the women and girls killed by violence in Canada last year.

U of G political science professor David MacDonald is also available to speak on the new report. He was involved in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He also has expertise on residential schools and Indigenous politics in Canada.

While researching the experiences of First Nations children and youth in residential schools, MacDonald interviewed numerous residential school survivors and government officials. He also attended TRC events and statement gatherings, healing circles and conferences.