Today is National Indigenous People’s Day in #Canada and while the country enjoys a global reputation as a defender of human rights the government needs to do better to respect and uphold the rights of Indigenous communities in Canada.

Indigenous women and girls continue to face abuse and discrimination at the hands of RCMP and local police in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/06/19/canada-police-fail-indigenous-women-saskatchewan

Numerous Indigenous communities have not had access to clean and safe drinking water for years despite Canada being one of the most water rich countries in the world. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/10/23/canada-make-first-nations-water-supply-priority

These issues are more important than ever as Indigenous people may be at greater risk of Covid-19 due to the systemic inequities they face and have faced for years. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/09/systemic-inequities-increase-covid-19-risk-indigenous-people-canada

Canada has made a lot of promises when it comes to Indigenous rights but it’s time to back up those words with action. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/06/21/canada-should-back-words-action-indigenous-rights