The New Westminster school board is sending the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry to committee for discussion on how to implement its calls for justice.
The school board received a motion passed by city council – which called for various entities, including local police and schools, to implement the MMIWG final report’s calls for justice – among its correspondence at a recent school board meeting.
Rather than simply vote to “receive” the motion from council, the formality offered to most correspondence, Trustee Danielle Connelly asked the board to take a closer look at the motion.
“It’s a really hugely substantial piece of work,” Connelly said.
Connelly asked the board to note that they are receiving the two calls for justice for educators – calls 11.1 and 11.2 – and the calls for action for all Canadians – calls 15.1 to 15.8.
The final report calls for elementary, secondary and post-secondary education authorities to “provide awareness to the public about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and about the issues and root causes of violence they experience.”
It also calls for curriculum development to be done in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and for those curriculums to provide historical context surrounding colonialism and the genocide against Indigenous Peoples.
It also calls for education programs for Indigenous youths on grooming for exploitation.
The calls for justice for all Canadians range from calling out systemic racism to learning the histories and cultures of Indigenous Peoples to being a “strong ally” to Indigenous Peoples.
The board voted in favour of sending the calls for justice to the education committee to be deliberated for implementation.
