Manitoba celebrates Red Shirt Day with a fundraiser for MMWIG2S+ families

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The Government of Manitoba celebrated Red Shirt Day by announcing the creation of a new $15 million grant program to support the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Relatives (MMIWG2S+).

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“Today is a very good day,” said Nahanni Fontaine, minister of families, women and gender equality, in a statement at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights on Sunday. “It's a sad day, but it's a very good day. Our government is making a commitment to MMIWG2S+ families to honor the lives of their missing or murdered loved ones by establishing the MMIWG2S+ Rehabilitation and Charity Fund.

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“We are investing $15 million in the endowment fund as an initial investment. We will open it up to the public to donate to the endowment fund, and we will also attract corporate entities and businesses and the like to invest in the endowment fund.”

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“I've said this and I know Minister Fontaine has said it forever that it wouldn't be possible without the work of families and their courage,” said Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith, whose sister is Claudette Osborne. Tyo has been missing since 2008 in Winnipeg. “I remember when my sister first went missing and how hard it was for families to cope.”

One of those family members is Nikki Komaksiutiksak, executive director of Tunngasugit, a resource center for northern Inuit transitioning to life in Winnipeg, who believes her cousin Jessica Michaels was killed when she was 17.

“It's an amazing start,” said an emotional Comaxiuthixac, who was comforted by Fontaine and Smith as they spoke. “I hope our local communities will be well supported from now on. I think about my story because my story is the same as many indigenous people in this country.”

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The endowment fund is administered by the Winnipeg Foundation and the income generated is used to provide application-based grants for treatment, learning and empowerment of MMIWG2S+ families. The initial investment is expected to be up to $750,000 a year, which will be paid for in the form of grants, Fontaine said. The initial investment will continue to grow, allowing the grant program to continue indefinitely.

“I think we saw that in 2016 with the transition in government (to the Progressive Conservatives),” Fontaine said. “The previous NDP government and myself as a special adviser (on indigenous women's issues) all the work we were doing fell by the wayside and we have to put the infrastructure in place regardless of what happens politically. the tides are changing, whatever it is – these resources are still available for families. This is one way to do it.”

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The Minister noted that the first acceptance of the new grant program is expected to begin in 2025. The Government of Manitoba will work with MMIWG2S+ families, the Matriarch Circle and community partners in the coming months to develop grant eligibility and allocation guidelines.

“I think today is a very important announcement because it's not enough to say you support the MMIWG2S+ or it's not enough to say you believe in reconciliation,” Fontaine said. “These are just words, just rude words. We must try to reconcile. We must fulfill our commitment to act, and today we are taking action to fulfill our government's commitment to MMIWG2S + families and to prioritize the protection of Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people.

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The fund is the first founding initiative of the Government of Manitoba's new multi-year strategy and action plan to empower and protect Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit peoples, supported by Cora Morgan, Manitoba's Special Advisor and Secretary for Indigenous Women's Affairs. To Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People and the Cabinet Committee on Gender-Based Violence.

“We work together as a team to make sure we don't miss out on potential events where families want to apply for these dollars,” Fontaine said. “I think we'll partner with a community organization so that the application doesn't come to the government, but someone on the ground who works directly with families to make it easier to access.

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“I'm not in the business of creating more barriers for families to get the support they need, so we're going to work with our partners to get direct access to those dollars.”

Fontaine said the government hopes the endowment fund will reach $50 million through contributions from businesses and community members.

This investment aligns with calls for justice in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, including calls for ongoing and accessible treatment programs and support for children of MMIWG2S+ and their families.

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