Petition: Loretta Saunders' death.

There's a new petition taking off on Change.org, and we think you might be
interested in signing it:

Hon. Kellie Leitch, Minister for the Status of Women: Call a public
inquiry into hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women like my
cousin Loretta Saunders

By Holly Jarrett
Cornwall

Sign Holly's Petition

Last month, my cousin Loretta Saunders was murdered at age 26. She was a
student at St. Mary's University in Halifax and was writing her honours
thesis on the hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.

Our family is Inuit, and Loretta has now become one of the over 800
missing or murdered Aboriginal women she was fighting for. It is time for
our government to address this epidemic of violence against Aboriginal
women.

Last week, we broke down when we learned Loretta's body had been found in
a ditch beside the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick. Our family is
gathering strength and we will not let her death be in vain. We will fight
to complete Loretta's unfinished work.

Please sign this petition and call on Federal Minister for the Status of
Women Kellie Leitch to immediately call a public inquiry into missing and
murdered Aboriginal women in Canada. The Native Women's Association of
Canada and other groups have worked on this for years and I started this
petition to support them and to demand justice for Loretta.

We need to know why it is that Aboriginal girls and women like Loretta are
five to seven times more likely to die as a result of violence than
non-Aboriginal women. This is what a public inquiry must address
immediately so that action can be taken to stop these tragedies and
protect aboriginal girls and women in Canada.

The Government has so far ignored calls for a public inquiry. If they
don't act the tragedies will continue. The epidemic of racist and sexist
violence against Aboriginal women in Canada is claiming lives and
devastating families each month.

It boils down to a simple question. Does the Canadian Government think
it's a problem that Aboriginal women are 5-7 times more likely to die from
a violent attack? Right now, we don't know. I'm praying that Loretta's
death and tens of thousands calling for the inquiry will finally move them
to do the right thing.

I travelled from Labrador to St.Johns with Loretta when she left home. We
talked about our Inuit roots, our family and our pasts and how we looked
at our future as an opportunity to create change and different more
healthy cycles and family patterns. We spoke about the topic of
aboriginal women going missing and being killed. We joked about how she
would change the world, but it wasn't really a joke at all. Loretta HAS
changed the world and. I'm determined that Loretta will continue to change
the world.

Please sign this petition and demand justice for Loretta and all
Aboriginal women.

As mentioned the Native Women's Association of Canada has worked on this
issue for years and has already collected 23,000 signatures calling for a
public inquiry. Here is a link to their site as well as their document
explaining in more detail why a public inquiry is needed.

Sign Holly's Petition

The person (or organization) who started this petition is not affiliated
with Change.org. Change.org did not create this petition and is not
responsible for the petition content.