National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. Calls For Action on Human Security and The Calls for Justice

National Day of Action statement calls for progress to be measured by whether Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are safer

Winnipeg, MB, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC Inc.) honours those who have been murdered or remain missing and stands with families, survivors and communities carrying the impacts of generations of violence.

“Today, we stand with families and survivors who have endured unimaginable trauma, grief and loss. We remember the sisters, mothers, daughters, aunties, grandmothers, relatives and friends who were taken from us far too soon,” said Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, President of NFSC Inc. “Families and survivors have carried the burden of advocacy for far too long. They have already told this country what needs to change. What is needed now is justice, accountability and tangible change in the lives of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.”

This is more than a public safety crisis. It is a human rights, Indigenous rights and human security crisis—one that demands systemic change.

Human security requires looking beyond individual incidents of violence to the interconnected conditions that determine whether people are safe, secure and able to live with dignity.

Housing, poverty, food and water security, transportation, health care, policing and justice, economic security, infrastructure, discrimination, exploitation and access to culturally safe services are not separate from this crisis. Addressing these conditions is fundamental to preventing violence.

For the past five years, NFSC Inc. has advocated for the full implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice and the transformational changes they demand.

NFSC Inc. recognizes important actions and investments that have been made. The federal government’s 2025–2026 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report identifies 174 initiatives across 29 federal departments and agencies actively advancing 163 Calls for Justice. The same report recognizes that more must be done to achieve the long-term changes necessary to address the root causes of violence.

Progress cannot be measured by government activity alone. It must be measured by outcomes.

The Calls for Justice are legal imperatives grounded in human rights and Indigenous rights. Their implementation requires coordinated and sustained action across governments, institutions and systems.

Independent accountability remains essential. Call for Justice 1.7 calls for the establishment of an independent National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson and a National Indigenous and Human Rights Tribunal to address Indigenous and human rights violations.

The urgency is undeniable. According to Statistics Canada, between 2009 and 2021, 490 Indigenous women and girls were victims of homicide. The homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls was 4.27 per 100,000—six times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous women and girls (0.73 per 100,000).

Earlier this year, NFSC Inc. presented Prime Minister Mark Carney with the Sacred Bundle. The Sacred Bundle carries teachings, responsibilities and spirit and reflects the lived experiences behind the 231 Calls for Justice. In accepting the Sacred Bundle, the Prime Minister publicly acknowledged the responsibility to advance reconciliation, prioritize the Calls for Justice and create the conditions for renewal and resurgence.

That responsibility must continue to be translated into sustained action and measurable change.

“We cannot talk about ending this genocide without talking about human security,” Anderson-Pyrz said. “Safety cannot begin only after someone has disappeared, been harmed or been murdered. Human security means addressing the conditions that put people at risk in the first place. It means creating the conditions where Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people can live free from violence and systemic discrimination, with safety, security, dignity and opportunity.”

NFSC Inc. calls for accelerated and coordinated implementation of the Calls for Justice, independent accountability, sustained prevention-focused action and investments, and systemic change across the conditions that affect human security.

Families and survivors have already provided the roadmap through their truths and through the Calls for Justice. What is required now is implementation, accountability and transformation.

The measure of progress must be whether our people are safe, secure and able to live with dignity.

Colton Praill
spark*advocacy
613-875-4320
colton@sparkadvocacy.ca