What ties do you have to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and what steps will you take to grow those connections if elected?

I identify as a 2-Spirit person with she/her/they pronouns. I shall endeavor to promote the rights of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through restorative justice legislation and provide permanent resources. I shall attend as many PRIDE events as I can, and I shall lift the financial barriers for organizations to create safe spaces within communities.

The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Report specifically states 2SLGBTQQIA+ Indigenous communities are included in the Calls to Action. If you were elected, what is your plan for seeing through an inclusive MMIWG2S Act in the NWT?

The MMIWG2S Calls to JUSTICE is a robust instrument that shall bridge gaps and margins. I shall ensure the implementation of a collective rights instrument “ICCPR, ICESCR, UNCRC, CEDAW, and ICERD including the 3rd Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), American Convention on Human Rights and Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, recommendations of the 2015 UN CEDAW Inquiry Report on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, all recommendations by international human rights bodies to address violence against all…specifically Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA individuals, the equal rights derived from UNDRIP while eliminating gender discrimination in the Indian Act” and territorial Acts and prioritizing permanent resources through an “Empowerment Fund”. The public, public services and Indigenous Peoples shall develop and implement an “Anti-Racism and Anti-Sexism Territorial Action Plan" to end racist and sexualized stereotypes of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.” (MMIWG2S Report Calls to Justice 1.2, 2.5, 2.6)

What do you know about the current challenges of two spirit, indigiqueer, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people in the NWT, and what steps will you take to commit to addressing these challenges?

As mentioned above, I shall champion the public and public services in partnership Indigenous Peoples and with 2SLGBTQQIA people to develop and implement an Anti-Racism and Anti-Sexism Territorial Action Plan to end racist and sexualized stereotypes and violence. (MMIWG2S Report Calls to Justice 1.2, 2.5, 2.6) I shall uphold the social and economic rights of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people fleeing violence by ensuring access to safe housing, clean drinking water and adequate food. (MMIWG2S Calls to Justice 4.1, 4.2, 4.7)

The NWT currently offers the most protection for two spirit, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people in Canada. This includes gender-affirming surgeries, trans+ healthcare, policies and more. Given the current political atmosphere targeting two spirit, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, what steps would you take to preserve these protections?

I shall ensure to legislate the preservation and protection of the equitable rights of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people to access health and wellness within their communities. Health care practices can be reflective of the “diversity of worldviews, cultures, languages, and values.” (MMIWG2S Calls to Justice 3.1, 3.2, 7.1)

The evacuation(s) this past summer were detrimental to many communities with devastating aftermaths. Were you impacted by the evacuation(s) this past summer and what did you do during that time? If elected, how do you plan to deal with the ongoing impacts, and how would you improve a future response?

Yes, my family were impacted by the wildfire evacuations this past summer. Fort Resolution did not have an evacuation, but we had evacuees in our community which depleted access to resources for local residents. Food security legislation. Our communications were limited to media updates that were clearer than government announcements. Our community did not have mail delivery for weeks and sporadic phone services. Our house was broken into during the wildfires, and I received several death threats that the RCMP did not want to process. The RCMP had their hands tied by limited resources and were told to use discretion verily “inviting” rebellion and violence. The evacuations delayed fuel subsidy applications. Muster points and manifests shall be encouraged within an emergency action plan.

Fire and flood smart community plans are mandatory to preserve our planet. If elected, I aim to find ways to plant a million trees in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh region, streamline communications with upgrades to power lines and deeper fibre-optic lines while moving towards green and clean energy incentives and shall investigate the Outback’s fire smart bush dwellings and the Japanese flood smart and small footprint architecture. Further investment into our firefighters and emergency crews receiving the best training and support is vital.