The 2016 statistics show that Canada's Indigenous people make up 1.6 million of the population, representing 4.9%. In Halton Region, where I live, work and play, there are just over 5000, representing 1% of the total population (Statistics Canada, 2018). I Identify as an indigenous person – a non-resident member of the NanatuKavut Community Council (formally known as the Labrador Métis Nation) and work with survivors and victims of human trafficking. No one ever wants to admit that there are trafficked people in their backyard, yet there is no excluded community or population. The number of trafficked indigenous girls and women is astronomical, and there is an alarmingly high number of murdered, missing and sexually exploited (Sethi, 2007).
(Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014, p. 31)
Unfortunately, there is no national-level data that tracks the transient indigenous population and their domestic trafficking in the sex industry (Sethi, 2007). In my professional experience and training, sex trafficking is very difficult to know precisely as this is an underground operation. Those who can exit are often too afraid to come forth and persecute. Sethi (2007) reports that because sexual exploitation is often mixed with sex work and mobility from various cities, it is challenging to assess the actual numbers of the crime's secretive nature.
What is Human Trafficking?
Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking referred to today as a modern form of slavery. It involves recruiting, transporting, or holding victims for sexual exploitation (Government of Canada, 2021). Anyone can be a victim; however, sex trafficking often exploits a person's vulnerabilities. Sex traffickers prey on those who may be socially or economically disadvantaged, such as some indigenous girls and women, migrants and new immigrants, youth who are in protection, run away, and those who move to urban centers either by being lured or voluntarily (Government of Canada, 2012). Younger street gang members often recruit young girls and women using the promise of affection, only later to suffer various forms of abuse, living in brutal conditions (Government of Canada, 2012). Human trafficking is often associated with major trauma of harm and violence, and survivor recovery can take a lifetime (Government of Canada, 2021).
Police-reported incidents of human trafficking in Canada reveal that 97% of victims are women and girls (Government of Canada, 2021). 90% of those trafficked are domestic (Levell-Harvard, 2020 ), where the crime occurs within Canada, and there is no crossing of international borders. Sethi (2007) states that domestic trafficking amongst ingenious girls in Canada has many forms, which can be familial based, meaning family members forcing other family members. Familial-based sex trafficking is sometimes "poverty-driven and intergenerational cyclical resulting from the residual impact of colonization and residual schools" (Sethi, 2007, p. 59). Women are trafficked because they are female, and girls are often targeted because they are young (Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014).
Infographic 1
Police-Reported Human Trafficking in Canada, 2009-2018
(Statistic Canada, 2020)
Root Causes
Sethi (2007) reports that some argue that if a person consents to engage in working in the sex trade industry, they cannot be considered trafficked, suggesting the untrue notion that only coerced or forced meet the definition of human trafficking. That vulnerability is not of their own making, as many are born into these factors. Lavell-Harvard (2020) reports that an excuse for missing and murdered indigenous girls and women is their work in the sex trade industry. Levell-Harvard (2020) states that some would suggest that indigenous people choose high-risk lifestyle activities when it is not a choice. Not all trafficked girls come from unstable homes, troubled pasts, or are entrenched in high-risk activities; however, some women and girls are more vulnerable than others (Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014). The passionate speaker and indigenous identified Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard passionately speaks when she states that when young girls are in the sex trade at age 14, they are not consenting; they are being exploited (2020). She further examines the root causes that may make Indigenous girls and women more vulnerable to sex trafficking in the webinar titled "Aboriginal Women & Girls and The Continuum Between Gender-based Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking" (2020).
Webinar 1
1. Racism
Raphael et al. (2020) report that racialized Canadians experience lower income, higher unemployment rates, and lower occupational status that threaten all aspects of their health. Racism can include Institutionalized and personally meditated, including prejudice and discrimination, which manifest as dehumanization (Raphael et al., 2020). Lavell-Harvard (2020) states that racism is a root cause of vulnerability to human trafficking as simply being indigenous in a country that has been dehumanized for hundreds of years. Due to discrimination, racism, sexist policies, and unequal status in Canada, Indigenous girls are "easily available" (Mann, 2005 & Olsen, 2005, as cited in Sethi, 2007). (Mann, 2005 & Olsen, 2005, as cited in Sethi, 2007). Youth from northern communities are often at high risk of becoming victims of human trafficking because they are constantly transitioning to a city where there is a high school, are subjected to racism, and are without the protective factors of their families (Lavell-Harvard, 2020).
2. Sexism
Previous to colonization, women were very well respected and influential within their communities and their families. Levall-Harvard (2020) reports women have since lost their voice and have been degraded and dehumanized. As a result of women's diminished status, misogyny is experienced, fostering and legitimizing physical and social violence for being both a woman and an indigenous woman (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls [MMIWG], n.d.). With a long history of sexism and gender-based crime as a result of colonization, Lavell-Harvard reports that it was not uncommon for young indigenous girls to be given as a sexual reward to explorers with similar perceptions today (2020). Due to the intergenerational effects of residential schools, men and women have not learned the meaning of healthy sexuality and parenting, resulting in many residential school survivors exploiting their children (Assistant Deputy Ministers Committee, 2001, as cited in Sethi, 2007). Often, girls suffering from this violence and abuse have no other choice than to leave their community searching for a safer place. "Sex trafficking is part of a continuum of violence that includes child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape" (Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014, p. 19).
3. Poverty
Raven Bown's (2006, as cited in Sethi, 2007) study on domestic trafficking determined that poverty is a significant cause of sexual exploitation. Farley & Lynne (2005, as cited in Sethi, 2007) explains that "a high level of poverty in a patriarchal society is directly related to a high rate of sexual exploitation" (p. 62). One of the reasons for this is that girls are often forced to move in search of survival opportunities. Indigenous families have reached an all-time high, with 52.1% living in extreme poverty (Ontario Federation of Friendship Centers, 2000, as cited in Sethi, 2007). Limited opportunities for education amongst indigenous girls account for one of the main reasons for poverty, with unemployment rates on reserves and indigenous communities three times the national average (Sethi, 2007). Lavell-Harvard (2020) provides an example of lack of opportunities and the factors that take away greater opportunities when she speaks that "no little girl's dream is to be in living on the street or in the sex trade." Often, involvement with child welfare simultaneously occurs when living in poverty.
(Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014, p. 30)
Neglect or what would appear present from a young child showing up to school hungry and without appropriate warm weather clothing. Lavell-Harvard reports this is not a sign of a "bad mother" but a poverty issue, as often it is a choice between shelter or food (2020). Numerous studies report that most exploited indigenous youth have been wards of the states at some point in their lives (Busby et al., 2002; McIntyre, 2012; Mehrabadi et al., 2008 & Sikka, 2009, as cited in Ting & Showden, 2019).
Infographic 2
Poverty as a social determinant of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis health
Moving Forward to Better Support Indigenous Girls & Women
Many provinces have been inconsistent in the past in the combat to fight human trafficking. In 2019, Canada encompassed a new "whole of government" approach that sets out a comprehensive way to address human trafficking both domestically and internationally with federal efforts all under one strategic plan through a victim-centred, survivor-informed, and gender-responsive lens (Government of Canada, 2019).
An investment of $75 million over six years (2019- 2024) from the National Strategy will support Canada's new approach, which includes four broad pillars known as the 4Ps (Government of Canada, 2019):
1. Prevention of trafficking
2. Protection of victims
3. Persecution of offenders
4. Working in partnership with others
The Canadian Women's Foundation (2014) task force for sex trafficking of girls and women in Canada has similar goals on a national and regional level, which include:
Change systems
* Laws that stop trafficking in its tracks while enforcing the laws that are already existing
* Give survivors a reason to come forward, and the criminal code focuses on the actions of the trafficker
*Increased police capacity strengthens protection
A trafficking-proof child welfare system
An instant and comprehensive response whenever a woman or girl seeks help
A stable platform for life without exploitation, including long-term housing stability
Provide opportunities for every trafficked woman to heal, including Indigenous-led healing villages for experiential women and their families
Build awareness - Confident girls and respectful boys
Collective action to end sex trafficking Canada-wide
Sustained funding to support services
Conclusion
Although we have made progress within the past decade to stop human trafficking, improvement is needed to prevent this heinous crime from happening. Parents and caregivers educate themselves, and then your children; educators learn the potential signs and fiercely stir awareness with students – girls and boys and youth talk to your peers. Remember, there is no safe community, and often, the people who are being trafficked are not aware that this is happening to them. Collective efforts are needed to better serve our vulnerable populations, including providing safe, supportive and accessible healing spaces that are culturally sensitive to the unique needs of indigenous girls and women. As a health care provider, it's a careful balance of shedding light on the potential for them to realize that they are being exploited. It is a complex situation where victims often may never exit for fear of themselves and their loved ones' safety. It is even more critical that you continue to build upon trust and rapport so that you can start walking this fragile journey with them.
(Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014)
References
Canadians Women's Task Force. (2014). "No more" Ending sex-trafficking in Canada. Report of the National Task Force on Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in Canada. Retrieved March 14, 2021, from http://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/No-More-Ending-Sex-Trafficking-in-Canada.pdf
Government of Canada. (2012). National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt-eng.pdf
Government of Canada. (2019). National strategy to combat human trafficking, 2019-2024. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2019-ntnl-strtgy-hmnn-trffc/2019-ntnl-strtgy-hmnn-trffc-en.pdf
Government of Canada. (2021). Sex Trafficking. Public Safety Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from http://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/campaigns/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking.html
Levell-Harvard, D. [MCIS]. (2020, September 7). HT Webinar 7- Aboriginal women & girls and the continuum between gender-based sexual violence and human trafficking [Webinar]. Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLeINJDxrWc&list=PLrkuKNnVCP0gxYvpMbQ1EdYDTvECsFQBM&index=15
National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Health [NCCIH]. (2020). Poverty as a social determinant of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis health. [Infographic]. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from http://www.nccih.ca/495/Infographic__Poverty_as_a_social_determinant_of_First_Nations,_Inuit,_and_Métis_health.nccih?id=290
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls [MMIWG]. (n.d.). Reclaiming Power and Peace. The final report on the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. From March 19, 2021, from https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1a-1.pdf
Rapheal, D., Bryant, T., Mikkonen, J., & Raphael, A. (2020). Social determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. (2nd edition). Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.thecanadianfacts.org/The_Canadian_Facts-2nd_ed.pdf
Sethi, A. (2007). Domestic Sex Trafficking of Aboriginal Girls in Canada: Issues and Implications. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 14 (1), 226-241. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from http://www.eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=df112182-9e15-4049-b02e-9c55228fa6d6%40sdc-v-sessmgr01
Statistics Canada. (2018). Aboriginal Population Profile. 2016 Census. Halton, RM [Census division]. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/abpopprof/index.cfm?Lang=E
Statistics Canada. (2020). Police reported human trafficking in Canada, 2009-2018 [Infographic]. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from http://www.150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2020025-eng.pdf?st=MtI2aZ4O
Ting, A., & Showden, C. (2019). Structural intersectionality and Indigenous Canadian youth who trade sex: understanding mobility beyond the trafficking model. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 15(3), 261–270. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177180119876679
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