Earlier this year, in Canada, Indigenous groups held an 87 day cross-country walk – Walk 4 Justice, to raise awareness about violence against Indigenous people. There have been extremely high numbers of First Nations women who have gone missing, many of their cases ignored by authorities. According to the article, “And Let’s go for that Justice,” posted in the Dominion, by the time they finished their walk, they had a list of 3,000 missing people.
“According to a Canadian government statistic, young Indigenous women are five times more likely than other women of the same age to die as the result of violence. In honour of missing and murdered indigenous women, the Walk4Justice began in Vancouver on June 21, 2008, Aboriginal Day. Many First Nations women, men and children participated from across the country, walking for 87 days, ending in Ottawa on September 15.”
The notorious serial killer Robert Pickton, made famous in the Sex Worker community for targeting sex workers, killed many First Nations women working in the trade.
This walk brings to mind the fact that in San Francisco, there have been many deaths (some of them obviously murders) of Transgender women who have received little media or police attention…and many of these women have been people of color, immigrants, and sex workers. I also think of stories I heard, while in the Balkans of Roma sex workers, many of them transgender in similar situations – facing violence because of their ethnicity, gender, or work, and not finding any support from authorities.
Next week, on Wednesday December 17th is the International Day to end Violence against Sex Workers. As we hold our events across the globe, and grieve the loss of our friends, family, and co-workers, lets also especially strategize to end oppression against people of color, immigrants, Indigenous people, transgender folks, and poor people.
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