NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: indigenous women, RCMP experiences, unhoused women

Objective(s): To produce a 30-40 page public policy report that will focus on the experiences of Indigenous women/other unhoused women in Yellowknife who interact with the RCMP.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5375. The key deliverable of this research project will be a 30-40 page public policy report that will focus on the experiences of Indigenous women/other unhoused women in Yellowknife who interact with the RCMP. The report will identify systemic gaps and make public policy recommendations for breaking down barriers that impact the relationship between street-involved Indigenous women and the RCMP, as well as outlining key steps for the RCMP and other community organizations and institutions to improve outcomes and service provision. The audience for the report would be local, federal, and territorial decision-makers, Indigenous governments and organizations, and community non-governmental organization (NGOs). The Yellowknife Women’s Society(YWS) is a grassroots community-based, charitable organization in Yellowknife. The goal of the society is to support and assist women in empowering themselves so they can develop their goals, achieve wellness, enjoy equality and be recognized for the contribution they make to the community. As an organization, the Yellowknife Women’s Society works to support street-involved Indigenous women and girls in Yellowknife through its shelter for women, its single-occupancy rental units, and the programs YKWS runs in the community, like the Yellowknife Street Outreach van. The project team will conduct research that identifies the current problems in the relationship between street-involved Indigenous women and the RCMP; conduct surveys, interviews and hosting focus groups with Indigenous women and girls; and develop a final report of recommendations for the RCMP, governments, and other key organizations. The project team has established an Advisory Group to guide our research, share their insights into the context, relationships, and realities in Yellowknife, and provide feedback to the project team. Advisory Group members represent a mix of expertise, experiences, and perspectives that relate to the report. The research team have several Indigenous Advisors with lived experience interacting with the Yellowknife RCMP and/or other community-facing organizations. Advisory Panel members will be engaged at key points during the project to provide input on the research process and methodology. With the guidance of the Advisory Panel, the project team expects to use the following research inputs: Literature review: The project team will do a deep-dive with available literature and resources to gather context, and seek best practices to inform the report’s recommendations. Topics and key sources for this literature review will likely include academic reports, Interviews with YKWS staff and other community organizations: The team will conduct 8-10 interviews with key informants. This may include staff in community and civic organizations, issue experts, and Indigenous leaders. In some instances, interviews/conversations may take place in a multi-stakeholder roundtable. Organizations may include the Native Women’s Association of the NWT, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, the RCMP in Yellowknife, YWCA of Yellowknife, the City of Yellowknife, the John Howard Society of NWT, and the Government of Northwest Territories. Group workshops and/or individual interviews with street-involved Indigenous women and girls: With the advice of the Advisory Panel, YKWS staff, and other experts, the project team has developed a plan for engagement with street-involved Indigenous women and girls in Yellowknife. Including their perspectives and experiences in the report is a top priority for the project team. When finished, the report will be made publicly available to readers. The report will also be proactively shared with those individuals and organizations in NWT who participate in research or who collaborate with the project team, as well as shared with all Indigenous governments in NWT. The project team will also publish a shorter, community-facing summary of findings to Indigenous governments to support their own advocacy going forward. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 11, 2023 to December 31, 2023.