Indigenous women in Canada face many issues including the lack of recognition, the demeaning image of Aboriginal women in North American culture, and the lack of women’s rights in the criminal justice system. This article addresses these issues, discussing the ways in which they are affecting Native women in Manitoba.

Native women’s rights in Canada

Native women’s rights in Canada have evolved over time. There have been some notable movers and shakers. Some of the more notable include Viola Desmond, the first black Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Mary Two-Axe Early, who fought for Native women’s rights in Mexico City and later in Canada. Regardless of their individual merits, these women and their accomplishments have been lauded and ostracized in equal measures.

The most significant change to Native women’s lives was the repeal of the Indian Act, which deprived them of their basic human rights. To their credit, Native …