Sexism and racism can take many forms. Federal laws that established a colonization regime (Indian Act) initially marginalized Native women, the result being healthcare, inheritance, and identity was an obstacle or detriment.
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Harper, Anita Olsen. "Is Canada Peaceful and Safe for Aboriginal Women?." Canadian Woman Studies 25, no. 1 (2006).
The author proposes that contrary to popular belief throughout the world Canada's human rights record has been abysmally poor when it comes to Native Canadian women. The article highlights the Sisters in Spirit initiative as an authoritative voice in addressing gender parity for Native women.
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Sethi, Anupriya. "Domestic sex trafficking of Aboriginal girls in Canada: Issues and implications." First Peoples Child & Family Review 3, no. 3 (2007): 57-71.
http://journals.sfu.ca/fpcfr/index.php/FPCFR/article/viewFile/50/88
The author states that discussions on human trafficking do not take the trade of Native Canadian girls into account. Given the number of murdered and missing Native girls, the problem has been framed as vice, versus as sex crimes and enslavement.
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Carter, Lauren. "Where are Canada's disappeared women." Herizons 19, no. 2 (2005): 20-46.
While the women depicted in this article were Native Canadian the author ties their plight to a larger indifference on the federal government toward addressing poverty and violence against women.
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Tait, Caroline. "Aboriginal identity and the construction of fetal alcohol syndrome." The Mental Health of Indigenous Peoples: Proceedings of the Advanced Study Institute. Montreal: Culture and Mental Health Research Unit. Report 10 (2000): 95-111.
Some institutional reports identify a linkage between missing and murdered Native Canadian women and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However there's pushback among Native Canadian community organizations if using this diagnosis is not another exercise in marginalization. The author examines the literature written about FAS within the Native Canadian population.
