Twitter activism amplifies #MMIWG, by Taima Moeke-Pickering, Sheila Cote-Meek & Ann Pegoraro

A bird that partakes of the forest knows the forest. A bird that partakes of the world knows the world”. Maori Proverb.

Our presentation at the MMIWG Conference in Sudbury was to create an understanding about how International tweets have contributed to bringing awareness of MMIWG to the world, expressing lived realities by Indigenous families and communities who have lost a mother, sister, child and friend.

Hashtags such as #timesup and #metoo have become an international outcry about the sexual violation towards women. Women of all dispositions, race, economic and social standing are standing up and voicing their opposition to abuse towards women. In Canada, Indigenous women have also been speaking up about sexual violation and murder of women and girls using the hashtags #mmiw and #inquiry. We want to share how hashtags draw attention to the power of social media movements who bring awareness about how lndigenous women in Canada should be honoured and cared for.

As academics and social justice researchers we stand in solidarity with the courageous voices from women and families pressuring the Canadian Government to pick up the calls for action to endorse an appropriate and relevant MMIW inquiry. We contribute to this movement by highlighting how big data social media Twitter analytics demonstrate the force of social media voices. Social media voices using the hashtags #mmiw and #inquiry are the new media journalists who are able to name, empower and articulate powerful messages often coming from the heart to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. We use our academic voices to reach the educational networks that we belong in, to extend the borders to those who might not otherwise be exposed to Indigenous issues as well as to provoke awareness via students, professors and allies to cause knowledge mobilization and action about MMIWG.

Our first premise is that it is absolutely abhorrent that there is an estimated 4000 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. As researchers we constantly reflect on the following questions: Why has the Government indeed the Police turned a blind eye to these numbers? Are we breeding a society to turn a blind eye? Why are the numbers so high and why are they unresolved? By virtue of the fact that the Canadian Government and Police had allowed unresolved murders and missing women numbers to increase, their silence and inaction contributes to the dehumanizing discourse of victim blaming that they (women and girls) were in the wrong place at the wrong time; or prostitutes that deserved it.

Our presentation shared about why social media was important as many of the tweets were written by and for Indigenous families, communities and friends, and that MMIWG “matter”. They are our Kwe and Kweok and therefore have special roles in Indigenous families and society. Our presentation makes the point that these women have names, and are someone’s sister, mother and friend. Our job as researchers is to report on what is happening (or not) and to be a part of social change not a bystander. Missing and murdered women and girls is not normal behaviour for any society, any country, any race, any community period.

Our second premise is that Indigenous peoples are the new journalists representing Indigenous media. Those who use social media play a vital role in bringing awareness to Indigenous issues framed from an Indigenous worldview. In our view, they are change makers and educators as their tweets, by sheer volume, are changing the discourse (for the better) about Indigenous issues. The #mmiw and #inquiry tweets have served as a rallying space for activism against the violence of women and girls even reaching international audiences.

Traditional media controls what information is shared to the public. Social media tweets have no borders, no boundaries nor constraints just pure raw heart driven messages. This power to change the political landscape of the media has been used as an opportunity by Indigenous peoples and has quickly become the norm for portraying Indigenous issues quickly. For example, what happens in an internet minute? In a velocity of 1 minute, a volume of 347,000 tweets can be conveyed via text, images or video. Social media becomes a communication platform for connectivity and provides short bursts of texts about repositories of life or key political issues.

Indigenous social media is the new social movement and the norm for Indigenous self-determination. This can be also demonstrated from the hashtags #idlenomore #wwos #sisters in spirit and #nodapl. The #nodapl data from August 2016 to June 18th 2017 had a reach of 13.3 billion and 23.5 billion impressions by 4.5 million users. Protest hashtags provide swiftness in receiving and disseminating information, builds and strengthens ties among activitists and increases interactions with the world.

Our last premise is that big data analytics provides data evidence of social media movements which can compel audiences to rethink or reimagine previously held constructions about certain issues. We took a snapshot of #mmiw #inquiry events from September 1st 2016 to July 29th 2017. In an 11 month period, Twitter users created 107,800 tweets, which produced 56.1 million impressions in countries such as Canada (73.8%), USA (20%) UK (1.6%) India (1.1%) Australia (0.5%) Germany (0.4%) France (0.4%) Ireland (0.2%) Switzerland (0.2%) and New Zealand (0.2%). Data provides undisputed facts, people are interested, they care, they gauge information from tweets and they can form or reform an opinion. Retweets or likes confirm this. To gain insight, for this period the top five tweeters who gained a large number of retweets (RT) were by Indigenous women who each have large Twitter followers.

Why this is important is because media stories last a few days until the next sensationalist story. By sharing information at conferences, tweeting or via articles and op-eds, we keep the #mmiw stories alive and up-to-date, it remains in your face. This political pressure keeps those with the power to make change on their toes. For Indigenous families and friends, it is assurance that people continue to care about them and that there are others who are dedicated to finding solutions. For educators and researchers, we must be part of making a better society for everyone. It is not only our duty but it is our moral obligation. To the Twitter movement and Indigenous social media journalists, miigwetch for the courage and insight you are providing to the world to facilitate change.

Contribution to the Booklet “Looking Ahead to Build the Spirit of our Women – Learning to Live free from Violence: Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Conference”: November 29 & 30 2017, Sudbury, Ontario.