Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week, the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was released. It arrives at some sobering conclusions that, as Canadian leaders, we must take seriously. The term "Canadian genocide" has raised some controversy, Mr. Speaker, but I think it just shows how deeply serious this discussion is.
Many hundreds of Indigenous women have been assaulted, murdered, or simply disappear, Mr. Speaker. That is not just a crime. It isn't just unusual. This isn't a somewhere-else problem, Mr. Speaker. Our very own mothers, daughters, sisters, and neighbours are among the victims of this genocide. Women from our communities have similar experiences to those elsewhere in Canada. The support services they need are equally lacking. It is a problem right here at home, and we are not offering meaningful solutions.
What can we do, Mr. Speaker? The word "genocide" may make us uncomfortable, but that word's gravity must force us to confront reality. We need to achieve a new understanding of the experiences of Indigenous women, girls, and families, and take concrete steps to improve those experiences. Women in all our communities need support.
Our programs should offer women access to health and wellness services wherever they live. Our government should prioritize women's equity and equality and encourage women to step forward into leadership roles. We must move forward on the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Let's make self-government and self-determination a basic right for Indigenous peoples. Our land rights agreements should promote justice and opportunity by creating certainty on land ownership.
Our systems of policing and corrections need vigilance, and principles of restorative justice should be incorporated into our legal system. In schools and workplaces, we should emphasize knowledge and fluency in northern studies, Indigenous history, and the legacy of residential schools. Indigenous wellness and traditional healing should be fully incorporated in our health delivery systems, which should focus on preventative as well as treatment aspects of health.
Mr. Speaker, the report states that "insufficient political will is a roadblock" to progress. I challenge my friends and colleagues across the NWT: let us find the political will to start making a difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.