Grassy Narrows First Nation sets up community checkpoint due to human trafficking concerns

Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek, known as Grassy Narrows First Nation, has put a community checkpoint in place due to escalating concerns around human trafficking.

A community notice issued by the First Nation's emergency response co-ordinator on Jan. 1 cites "recent incidents involving attempted abductions of our band members."

"Human trafficking is vile and evil, and it has come to put our people at risk," says the statement from Terry Fobister. "As mentioned before, [we] will do what is necessary to ensure [the] protection and safety of our people."

The northwestern Ontario community, about 150 kilometres from Dryden near the Ontario-Manitoba border, is served by the Treaty Three Police Service (T3PS), which issued a statement Jan. 2 in response to concerns raised by Grassy Narrows.

"We fully support the proactive measures taken by the chief and council to ensure the safety of their members," says the statement.

"T3PS is dedicated to addressing human trafficking, drug trafficking, and organized crime in our communities. Our Community Street Crime Unit is specifically tasked with investigating and responding to occurrences related to these critical issues."

There were 570 human trafficking incidents reported to police in 2023 across the country, according to Statistics Canada.

It's estimated Indigenous women make up about half of human trafficking victims in Canada, according to the Native Women's Association of Canada.

"We know human trafficking disproportionately impacts Indigenous women and girls, but the exact numbers remain unknown because it often goes unreported," said Tina Bobinski, senior director of community development at the Ontario Native Women's Association (ONWA). Bobinski is a member of Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation.

"Indigenous women and girls face significant barriers in reporting, including sometimes poor interactions with law enforcement and the legal system."

Ontario has the second highest rate of human trafficking in Canada, behind Nova Scotia.

Collaboration between community, police service

The T3PS serves about 20,000 residents across 23 First Nations. It has a community sergeant based in Grassy Narrows, which the force says reflects "our ongoing commitment to building trust and maintaining a strong presence in the community."

The police service oversees the Maanaji'iwin Project, which aims to "prevent human trafficking, raise awareness and provide support to victims across Treaty #3."

The T3PS has also partnered with communities on CCTV projects, as "part of a broader effort to use technology to monitor and protect our communities."

It's important to make sure solutions to complex issues like these are driven by communities themselves, said Bobinski.

"What we're seeing with the partnership between Grassy Narrows and Treaty 3 Police is a good example of how community stakeholders come together to address human trafficking."

CBC News reached out to Grassy Narrows's chief, who declined an interview request at this time; a community spokesperson said the current work related to human trafficking is investigative and preventive.

Solutions informed by survivors

Another issue that puts Indigenous women and girls at risk is that many come from remote communities and relocate to larger urban centres for better access to services, such as education or health care.

"Sometimes their contact with families and loved ones is interrupted for periods of time, whereby when they're missing, it may be mistaken for just being away for these other reasons," Bobinski said.

"Being in an unfamiliar place also may contribute to a minimization of their perception of risk when meeting strangers."

ONWA's Indigenous Anti-Human Trafficking Liaison (IAHTL) Program is the largest Indigenous-led initiative of its kind in the province, Bobinski said. It consists of education, tools and resources aimed at helping Indigenous communities build their capacity to address safety risks.

In its Journey to Safe Spaces report from 2017-2018, the organization sought input from 250 human trafficking survivors.

"When we look to survivors and we value their expertise, it helps us create programs that are going to support other survivors and victims of human trafficking.

"Then, we have an opportunity to work with our governments and our policymakers on submissions that have direct input into federal and provincial anti-human trafficking strategies," she said.

A list of anti-human trafficking service providers across Ontario can be found here.