FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2025
On this National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ People (MMIWG2S+), the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC Inc.) honours the lives taken, acknowledges those still missing, and stands with the families and survivors of gender-and-raced-based violence who continue to carry deep loss with strength and resilience.
This day is not only a time of remembrance, it is a demand for change. Families and survivors are calling for safety, human security, justice, healing, and dignity. These demands are grounded in the inherent and human rights of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, which must be recognized, respected, and upheld in all actions moving forward. The message is clear: Canada must move from promises to measurable implementation.
“Every family deserves to know their loved ones are safe. Every survivor deserves healing and justice. Every Indigenous woman, girl, and 2SLGBTQIA+ person deserves to live in dignity and human security,” said Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, President of NFSC Inc.
The 231 Calls for Justice are not aspirational. They are actionable and provide a comprehensive roadmap for ending the violence. What remains lacking is the political will, public accountability, and sustainable investment required to transform these calls into real change. NFSC Inc. urges governments to take immediate steps toward establishing a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson and Tribunal, as outlined in Call for Justice 1.7. This must be accompanied by long-term, core funding to support Indigenous-led services that ensure safety, housing, healing, and justice. In addition, the federal government must create an independent mechanism to report on the implementation of the Calls for Justice to Parliament annually, as required by Call for Justice 1.10. These steps must be rooted in co-development and guided by the lived expertise of survivors and families, particularly Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, who are best positioned to inform policy and practice.
“The violence must end, and that requires urgency, accountability, and a full commitment to the inherent and human rights we hold as Indigenous Peoples,” added Anderson-Pyrz.
Despite five years since the release of the National Inquiry’s Final Report, a limited number of the 231 Calls for Justice have seen meaningful implementation. Families, survivors, and communities continue to face unacceptable delays, gaps in funding, and a lack of transparent tracking of progress. The consequences are real, and the stakes are high.
With a new federal government under Prime Minister Carney, the country stands at a critical juncture. NFSC Inc. calls on the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to meet directly with families and survivors before November 15, 2025, and to publicly commit to implementing Calls 1.7 and 1.10 as part of the 2026 federal budget. A cross-government MMIWG2S+ Implementation Task Force, co-developed with NFSC Inc., is essential to ensure that progress is coordinated, transparent, and driven by those most affected. For NFSC Inc. to effectively co-lead such a task force, governments must provide sustained core funding, dedicated technical and administrative support, and a formal decision-making role. Survivors and families must not be tasked with implementation without the tools and infrastructure to succeed. Leadership must be backed by capacity, and accountability must be mutual.
Given the demonstrated and disproportionate impact that resource extraction has on Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, it is essential that they are meaningfully consulted, adequately resourced, and included in all decision-making processes related to Bill C-5. Their inclusion is not only a matter of equity but of safety, justice, and Indigenous rights.
Families and survivors cannot and should not carry this burden alone. Canadians must rise to this moment by holding elected officials accountable, supporting Indigenous-led solutions through action and advocacy, and sustaining public pressure to ensure governments deliver justice, healing, and long-term safety. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people deserve nothing less.
“This is not only our struggle. It is Canada’s responsibility,” said Anderson-Pyrz.
“Together, we will hold governments accountable until future generations can grow up in safety, with justice, healing, and dignity at the core of their lives.”
We understand that this subject matter is difficult for many people in our community. If you require immediate support, please contact the national, independent toll free 24/7 support line at 1-844-413-6649 to speak to a counsellor. The service is available in English, French, Cree, Anishnaabemowin (Ojibway), and Inuktitut.
About the National Family and Survivors Circle, Inc.
The NFSC Inc. is a legally incorporated, non-profit organization comprised of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations, women from diverse backgrounds who use their lived expertise to advocate for centering the voices of families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and girls, survivors of gender-based violence, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in the implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice, the National Action Plan on MMIWG2S+, and the Federal Pathway.
NFSC Inc website: https://familysurvivorscircle.ca/
Media Inquiries: info@familysurvivorscircle.ca
