Tyndale University College student publishes essay 'Not Just a Statistic'
Tyndale University College congratulates Naomi Peters [BA Psychology 2019] on the publication of her essay in the book First Nations Christian Writers Volume 1. Naomi’s essay Not Just a Statistic, explores the issue of violence faced by Indigenous women.
Headline after headline and recent statistics point to a crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. Naomi’s essay references studies that indicate Aboriginal women are eight times more likely to be victims of homicide compared with non-Indigenous Canadian women. A 2014 RCMP report confirmed that 164 Aboriginal women went missing and 1,017 murdered. Naomi explores a response involving a national inquiry supplemented by the restoration of Indigenous communities. She writes:
“Until recently the families of the missing and murdered indigenous women have felt as though they were less than main-stream Canadians. The families need to see justice for and honor restored to their loved ones. This is only something that can be offered to them through a law system that protects indigenous women and puts value on their lives.”
The essay is ultimately optimistic. “I believe that as we look with openness at the truth we will be able to work with one another and address the reasons behind the violence against women in Canada, especially violence against Indigenous women in Canada,” she writes.
First Nations Christian Writers Volume 1 is available for purchase online.