Resources affect Indigenous women
People talk about the impact of resource projects on the environment and First Nations communities. But what about the impact on Indigenous women?
Chastity Davis-Alphonse, an award-winning Indigenous Relations Strategic Advisor.
People frequently talk about the impact of resource projects on the environment and First Nations communities.
But what about the impact on Indigenous women?
Chastity Davis-Alphonse raised the question at our inaugural 2020 event, which focused on economic reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada.
Davis-Alphonse, a member of the Tla'amin Nation in BC, has worked as a consultant with more than 125 First Nation communities in BC and Indigenous and non-Indigenous companies and organizations. She was also chair of the BC Minister's Advisory Council on Indigenous Women from 2019-2020, which, among other things, worked on gender-based analysis concerning resource development.
At our 2020 event, Davis-Alphonse pointed to the traditional and vital matriarchal role of First Nations women:
"Prior to contact (with non-Indigenous settlers), 80% of our communities were matriarchal. When Canada became a country in 1867, nine years later, in 1876, the Indian Act came in and had targeted legislation that oppressed Indigenous women. So today, and moving forward, we need to commit to doing things differently.
"And how do we do that? The federal government has done an upgrade to their Impact Assessment Act, and in Paragraph 22(s), it speaks specifically to having your impact assessment include the intersection of gender and sex.
"And the other piece that would be helpful for you to look up is an Indigenous gender-based analysis. So that's a specific practice that helps industry be better at measuring the impacts of their projects on Indigenous women and girls and gender diverse individuals.
"Our Women's Council here in British Columbia, we're building the first Indigenous gender-based analysis toolkit that's being endorsed by the provincial government and industry partners. And we'll look at specific ways of how to implement and measure impacts of your projects on indigenous women and girls."
Davis-Alphonse pointed our 2020 audience of 700 to Article 22.2 of UNDRIP: "States shall take measures, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to ensure that indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination."
And she urged them to read up on the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, noting that recommendation Number 92 of the Commission is specific to the business community.
Davis-Alphonse urged business leaders to take action to improve the quality of life for Indigenous women in this country: "the original leaders of this land, the original matriarchs of this land who have not been honoured.
"That's what UNDRIP is calling for, and that's what I'm calling you to do as well. To step forward and to implement that."
This year's hybrid event will run from May 26-27, 2022.