In Keetsahnak / Our Murdered and Missing Indigenous Sisters, the tension between personal, political, and public action is brought home starkly as the contributors look at the roots of violence and how it diminishes life for all. Together, they create a model for anti-violence work from an Indigenous perspective. They acknowledge the destruction wrought by colonial violence, and also look at controversial topics such as lateral violence, challenges in working with “tradition,” and problematic notions involved in “helping.” Through stories of resilience, resistance, and activism, the editors give voice to powerful personal testimony and allow for the creation of knowledge.
It’s in all of our best interests to take on gender violence as a core resurgence project, a core decolonization project, a core of Indigenous nation building, and as the backbone of any Indigenous mobilization. —Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Contributors: Kim Anderson, Stella August, Tracy Bear, Christi Belcourt, Robyn Bourgeois, Rita Bouvier, Maria Campbell, Maya Ode’amik Chacaby, Downtown Eastside Power of Women Group, Susan Gingell, Michelle Good, Laura Harjo, Sarah Hunt, Robert Alexander Innes, Beverly Jacobs, Tanya Kappo, Tara Kappo, Lyla Kinoshameg, Helen Knott, Sandra Lamouche, Jo-Anne Lawless, Debra Leo, Kelsey T. Leonard, Ann-Marie Livingston, Brenda Macdougall, Sylvia Maracle, Jenell Navarro, Darlene R. Okemaysim-Sicotte, Pahan Pte San Win, Ramona Reece, Kimberly Robertson, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Beatrice Starr, Madeleine Kétéskwew Dion Stout, Waaseyaa’sin Christine Sy, Alex Wilson
Kim Anderson is a Metis writer and Associate Professor at the University of Guelph.
Maria Campbell (born 6 of 26 Apr 1940 near Athlone, Edmonton) is a Métis author, playwright, broadcaster, filmmaker, and Elder. Campbell is a fluent speaker of four languages: Cree, Michif, Saulteaux, and English. Park Valley is located 80 miles northwest of Prince Albert. Her first book was the memoir Halfbreed (1973), which continues to be taught in schools across Canada, and which continues to inspire generations of indigenous women and men. Four of her published works have been published in eight countries and translated into four other languages (German, Chinese, French, Italian).
Christi Belcourt is a Michif visual artist from Manito Sahkahigan (Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta). She is a lead co-ordinator for the Walking With Our Sisters commemoration.
I | All Our Relations
1 Voices from the Downtown Eastside
DEBRA LEO, BEATRICE STARR & STELLA AUGUST
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE POWER OF WOMEN GROUP
2 Honouring Women
BEVERLY JACOBS
3 Sacred Sisters and Sacred Circles
A Story of One Nehiyawak Family and the Power of Spirit
SANDRA LAMOUCHE
4 Honouring Elsie
Was She Just a Dream?
ANN-MARIE LIVINGSTON & SARAH HUNT
II | The Violence of History
5 Generations of Genocide
The Historical and Sociological Context of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
ROBYN BOURGEOIS
6 A Tradition of Violence
Dehumanization, Stereotyping, and Indigenous Women
MICHELLE GOOD
7 The (Un)Making of Property Gender Violence and the Legal Status of Long Island Algonquian Women
KELSEY T. LEONARD
8 (The Missing Chapter) On Being Missing
From Indian Problem to Indian Problematic
MAYA ODE’AMIK CHACABY
III | Challenges
9 Violence and Extraction
Stories from the Oil Fields
HELEN KNOT T
10 Skirting the Issues
Indigenous Myths, Misses, and Misogyny
ALEX WILSON
11 The Moose in the Room
Indigenous Men and Violence against Women
ROBERT ALEXANDER INNES & KIM ANDERSON
12 Considering Wenonah, Considering Us
WAASEYAA’SIN CHRISTINE SY
13 Centring Resurgence
Taking on Colonial Gender Violence in Indigenous Nation Building
LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON
IV | Action, Always
14 Iskwewuk E-wischiwitochik
Saskatchewan Community Activism to Address Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls
DARLENE R. OKEMAYSIM-SICOT TE, SUSAN GINGELL &
RITA BOUVIER
15 Woman Sacred
PAHAN PTE SAN WIN
16 Leading with Our Hearts
Anti-Violence Action and Beadwork Circles as Colonial Resistance
LAURA HARJO, JENELL NAVARRO & KIMBERLY ROBERTSON
Epilogue
Sitting in with Sisters
KIM ANDERSON, TRACY BEAR, CHRISTI BELCOURT, MARIA CAMPBELL, MAYA ODE’AMIK CHACABY, TANYA KAPPO, TARA KAPPO, LYLA KINOSHAMEG, JO-ANNE LAWLESS, BRENDA MACDOUGALL, SYLVIA MARACLE, RAMONA REECE, MADELEINE KÉTÉSKWEW DION STOUT