Domestic Human Trafficking in Canada and the overrepresentation of indigenous child victims and survivors

The lack of data was an important barrier in this project, as the incidence of trafficking is widely under-reported in Canada. Much of the online knowledge about trafficking is within the American context, which leads to shortcomings in our knowledge within the Canadian context. The issue of child trafficking and the human trafficking of indigenous communities exists beyond the scope of this work, which may only shed light on the tip of the iceberg. Still, its goal is to better the understanding of domestic child trafficking in the Canadian geopolitical and cultural context. The focus of this thesis is to identify the core elements of the overrepresentation of indigenous children in human trafficking numbers in Canada and outline systemic inequities and shortcomings at different levels - federal, provincial, the territories, and First Nations governments and other departments such as media, police practices, child welfare services, and the justice system. The main goal of this thesis is to call attention to issues pertaining to child trafficking and the negative conceptualization of indigenous children. The thesis will be split into three main parts. The first part will be a conceptual framework and will define the concept of child trafficking and its high prevalence in indigenous communities through national reports and statistics. More specifically, the first part will present some risk factors and determinants of the health of indigenous communities, significant recruiting grounds for trafficking, and the impact of proper training of law enforcement. The second part of the thesis will look at the history of colonialism and indigenous communities in Canada, focusing on the pervasive nature of systemic racism in policing in Canada. This will also include a critical look at the practice of sovereignty, self-determination, and empowerment of indigenous communities and how this impacts the issue of child trafficking across the country. The third part of this research will focus on the current protective and preventive systems, the support training available to professionals, such as culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care, and the means available for survivors' recovery and reintegration. This part also includes a conceptualization of indigenous child survivors. The last section of this work will conclude the research findings and outline some recommendations.

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