Senator Cordy: Thank you, Senator Gold. That is very positive.

We know that a motion made in the other place — or in this place — does not necessarily compel the government to act; although, you have said that they will be doing that, which is a positive thing.

As you stated, the alert systems are the jurisdictions of the provinces and territories. My question is: Will the federal government take a leadership role so that it is not just one province or one territory but, in fact, the whole country? Will the federal government take a leadership role to make the alert system a reality, and will the federal government provide some funding to help the provinces and the territories set up the alert system?

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I would first like to acknowledge that we are meeting today on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial. I extend my sincere gratitude and respect to them and to all First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are the stewards of these lands.

I am pleased to rise today to tell you one of the ways in which the Progressive Senate Group has decided to mark the start of National Indigenous History Month.

Yesterday, staff and senators from the Progressive Senate Group participated in a Blanket Exercise, an interactive workshop that was created as a response to the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples from 1996. Using blankets as a visual representation, we witnessed the many injustices inflicted on generations of Indigenous people, including through the aggressive and often deadly dispossession of their lands and the decimation of their families, communities, cultures, languages and entire ways of life.

As a result, we were able to deepen our understanding of the past and present realities of Indigenous people in what is now known as Canada.

I know I’m not the only one who found the experience tremendously impactful. Our Indigenous facilitators — John, Francine and Jesse — graciously shared their own experiences to teach us about a history that most of us were never taught, including about the lasting harms associated with the continued apprehension of Indigenous children through the child welfare systems. As we confronted the uncomfortable truths of our shared past and present, we cried — and we laughed — and we all walked away with a deeper understanding of the depth of injustice that has been borne by Indigenous people. More than that, we left with a renewed commitment to help advance reconciliation inside and outside this institution.

I encourage everyone to find their own ways to mark National Indigenous History Month. We need to honour the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, and that cannot happen without listening and learning with open hearts and open minds.

Thank you to Senator Francis and your staff for organizing such an opportunity. Thank you to the senators and staff who participated. The Blanket Exercise is an experience I certainly won’t forget, and I urge everyone to participate if you are ever offered the opportunity. Thank you. Meegwetch.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Senator Gold, Indigenous women are four times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be victims of violence. Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims and 11% of missing women, yet Indigenous people make up only 4.3% of the population of Canada.

Last month in the other place, a motion declaring the continued loss of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people a Canada‑wide emergency passed with unanimous consent. The motion also called on the federal government to provide immediate and substantial investment including a red dress alert system to help alert the public when an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing.

Senator Gold, this motion received unanimous support in the House of Commons, and this includes support by the government.

My question will be to the point: Does the government intend to act on this motion and will the government work to develop an alert system for missing Indigenous women?