By Mike Graeme, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter INDIGINEWS

In W瘫SANE膯 communities and beyond, it害羞草研究所檚 the women who hold everything together, says Matriarch Tracy Underwood.

害羞草研究所淭he SEN膯O纽EN word for women is S冉ANI,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎nd if you look it up in our SEN膯O纽EN dictionary, you害羞草研究所檒l see the second definition of the word is `a knitting stitch.害羞草研究所� And that brings a whole new perspective to women害羞草研究所檚 place in the fabric of society.害羞草研究所�

Underwood is the president of the non-profit XAXE TE峁圗W瘫 Sacred Land Society (XTSLS), which recently launched the Rematriate Stewardship project. The project is meant to bring housing and land to Salish women and their families on southern Vancouver Island so they can better steward their unceded homelands.

The Rematriate Stewardship project kicked off its first fundraising campaign at 冉AU, WEL峁圗W瘫 Tribal School in W瘫JO冉E冉P (害羞草研究所淭sartlip害羞草研究所�) on Red Dress Day earlier this month with the goal of raising $400,000 by Aug. 5.

The group ultimately wants to provide a 20 per cent downpayment on an acreage on southern Vancouver Island as a tangible way to restore the sacred relationship between Matriarchs and their lands and their waters. The site itself has not been decided yet but they are currently working with a realtor to secure something once the down payment is in place.

The W瘫SANE膯 Nation itself has re-established ownership of unceded sites 害羞草研究所� 染IKEL and SIS然ENEM 害羞草研究所� in recent years after creating its own land trust. XTSLS is the latest organization working to fund the return of Salish lands, which were never given up by their original owners.

The timing of the fundraiser launch on the same day as Red Dress Day was intentional, said Rematriate Stewardship project lead Tiffany Joseph.

害羞草研究所淚t was because of the murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls epidemic that I wanted to start doing some work with our people to get land back,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淟and is critical for us to begin to heal, practice our culture, and access foods and medicines. It害羞草研究所檚 time everyone understood the impact of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives and worked together to provide safe space for us.害羞草研究所�

According to the Assembly of First Nations, 56 per cent of all Indigenous women have suffered from physical assault, while 46 per cent have been sexually assaulted.

The 2019 National Inquiry into MMIWG reported that Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people 害羞草研究所渆xperience disproportionately high rates of poverty and insurmountable barriers to obtaining secure housing, food, education, employment, transportation, and other basic needs,害羞草研究所� which decreases their safety and increases the levels of violence they face.

害羞草研究所淚 constantly say we are in an ongoing genocide that has never stopped,害羞草研究所� said Georgina Underwood, who sits on the Board of XTSLS and is a great-grandmother of 14. 害羞草研究所淭he Rematriate Stewardship project ensures women have voices 害羞草研究所� that women will rise up to speak on their own behalf, and find their identity.害羞草研究所�

The national inquiry concluded that the gendered violence 害羞草研究所渁mounts to a race-based genocide of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis, which especially targets women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.害羞草研究所�

In response, the inquiry laid out a series of actions for all governments to take, emphasizing the need for 害羞草研究所渟afe, permanent, and meaningful access for Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit/LGBTQ+ people to their cultures and languages in order to restore, reclaim and revitalize cultures and identity.害羞草研究所�

The inquiry also emphasized the need for Indigenous women to have safe housing, clean drinking water, and adequate food.

Tracy Underwood said the genocide Indigenous women experience stems from the values of settler society in Canada, which have been entrenched through policies such as the Indian Act.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the way Canada devalues dark-skinned women that is the root of the issue. And that goes back to how the Indian Act disadvantaged us,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淪o to me, empowering our young women to use their voices and know their value is important because it害羞草研究所檚 preparing them not to be a part of the murdered and missing. And to get there, we need to provide safe places for them.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭he band council system, the reserve system, they害羞草研究所檙e all still imposed through the Indian Act,害羞草研究所� she added. 害羞草研究所淎nd immediately, there are inherent harms and difficulties layered in it.害羞草研究所�

The Indian Act, created by the federal government in 1876, has also been a central tool used to deny women the right to inherit their ancestral lands. Under the reserve system, only widows could 害羞草研究所減ossess害羞草研究所� land, and even then a widow 害羞草研究所渃ould not inherit her husband害羞草研究所檚 personal property upon his death 害羞草研究所� everything, including the family house, legally went to his children,害羞草研究所� according to Indigenous Foundations.

In 1884, government agents modified the Act slightly to allow men to will their estate to their wives, but Indian agents could still deny Indigenous women this inheritance if they determined them to lack 害羞草研究所済ood moral character.害羞草研究所� This rule was in place until 1951.

The national inquiry recognized the violence the Indian Act perpetuates against Indigenous women and called on all governments to 害羞草研究所渆liminate discriminatory provisions from the Indian Act.害羞草研究所�

Georgina Underwood said the Indian Act and other colonial structures 害羞草研究所渞eally interfere with families and communities,害羞草研究所� and the Rematriate Stewardship project is an important step in helping Saltwater Salish women to push back against those forces, connect with their ancestral inheritance, and uphold their responsibilities to land.

害羞草研究所淥ne of our words in SEN膯O纽EN is 膯ELA峁圗N, which refers to ancestral inheritance in relation to our territories,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所溎咵LA峁圗N is something that is given to each of the families, passed down by their ancestors, an ancestral heritage that connects them to the land, to the sea, and to their family. And I think that害羞草研究所檚 what we are a big part of restoring.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚n my heart, right now as I害羞草研究所檓 speaking, I see our ancestors in the clouds,害羞草研究所� Georgina added. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e watching us, waiting for this movement to happen.害羞草研究所�

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