Who We Are

In response to the 231 Calls for Justice and the Principles for Change from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the establishment of the National Family and Survivors Circle (NFSC) was supported by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to provide guidance on how to engage families, survivors, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in the development and implementation of a National Action Plan. The NFSC is comprised of Indigenous women from diverse backgrounds.

“We use our strength and lived expertise as family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and survivors of gender- and race-based violence to advocate for the voices and expertise of families and survivors to be centred in the National Action Plan.”

Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, NFSC Chair

What is the National Family and Survivors Circle

We Are All Part of the Solution

The establishment of NFSC was supported by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada as part of its response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry’s (the “National Inquiry”) Calls for Justice 1.1, which calls on all governments to develop and implement a NAP with Indigenous partners to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

The NFSC is made up of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who are the family members of missing or murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and who are survivors of gender and raced based violence. We come from diverse Indigenous communities, backgrounds, strengths, and capabilities. As families and survivors, we agreed to participate in this process with the assurance our lived experience, expertise, and agency would guide the identification of strength based best practices and actions to be included in the NAP. The NFSC participates in this work through advocating and providing guidance to the NAP development partners on how they can form pathways in their work for the full inclusion of families and survivors for transformative outcomes. The ultimate goal of our work is to advocate for accountability mechanisms through a decolonized approach to end the genocide and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. All governments and institutions must be held accountable and must act to repair the damage caused and provide long-term, sustainable, and fully resourced infrastructure and support to Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, families, survivors and our Nations and communities to recover from the violence and to provide for prevention, wellness, and nation building. Recognizing that families, survivors, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people want and deserve action now and that all Calls for Justice are priorities, we focus on immediate actions for implementation in this document.

The establishment of the NFSC is historic. This level of integration of families and survivors into government and organizational co-development processes is a first. It must be precedent setting and define all paths forward. This one example of decolonizing approaches and inclusion of families and survivors called for in the Final Report and the Principles for Change.

Our Goals

The ultimate goal of our work is to advocate for accountability mechanisms through a decolonized approach to end all forms of gender- and race-based violence and genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and prevent future generations from experiencing continued trauma. Our focus is to create pathways that ensure the lived experience, expertise, and capabilities of families, survivors, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are at the forefront of ending systemic and structural racism, violence, and genocide. This includes dismantling colonial and patriarchal systems to implement and adhere to Indigenous inherent and human rights which promote self-determination, healing, and nation-building.

Our Vision

Our vision is for all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people to live dignified lives, where we are free to fully assert and exercise our Indigenous Rights, including Inherent and Treaty, and our Human Rights, where we will continue to reclaim our Power and Place within our lands, territories, and within our Nations, Peoples, and communities, where we are valued and respected, and live with dignity and substantive equality in Canada.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continually advocate that all governments, agencies, and organizations, who have a responsibility in ending the genocide, centre families and survivors in their work. We are committed to working with governments, agencies, and organizations to assist in creating pathways for families and survivors to be engaged in this work through true partnerships that are decolonizing, respectful, equitable and rooted in cultural humility and dignified approaches.

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’
Toll-free Support Phone Line

For immediate mental and emotional wellness support, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ toll-free support phone line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.

First Nations and Inuit
Hope for Wellness
Help Line

First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line provides culturally-grounded assessment, referrals, support in times of crisis, and suicide intervention. Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English, French, Ojibway, Cree and Inuktitut.