MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan

Far too often, the deaths or disappearances of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people go unnoticed and uncounted.

In 2016, the National Inquiry started a task force to change that. Over several years, they’ve communicated their critical findings in various reports and websites. And we’ve supported them at every key step.

First, we helped them present their findings and recommendations in their landmark 2019 report. Then in 2021, they came to us again to design the National Action Plan. It was the two-year anniversary of their original report, and they wanted to update their materials to reflect the latest learnings.

Taking feedback from many groups, our team delivered the highly impactful materials in time for the anniversary. The result was an array of custom patterns that incorporated jingle dress cones, Inuit tattoos, and Métis symbols into abstract circular patterns. A warm sunrise colour scheme paired with a red accent to represent missing and murdered people was used to inspire hope.

The final series of three reports debuted nationally and internationally in June 2021 on the National Action Plan site, where they drew significant media attention. All reports are fully AODA and e-reader accessible, so they’re available to a broad audience. As a whole, the report designs honour the victims without being specific to any nation.

Implementing the National Action Plan is an ongoing process. In 2022 we designed the first annual NAP Progress Report, a summary of improvements and gaps over the previous year and next steps on the path towards transformational change. We also gave the website a strategic refresh to showcase the new report, with a dedicated space for additional progress reports to come.

We also designed a related report by the urban chapter of the National Action Plan, which focused on Indigenous people who live in urban areas. Inspired by baskets and weaving across Turtle Island, the layout features quills, braids of grass, woven patterns, and vessels.

Data about deaths and disappearances can help only when people can understand and act on it. So the Data Sub-Working Group put together a vibrant report that highlights how we can better collect and communicate data across Canada. To draw attention to key information, we used shapes and illustrations reminiscent of Indigenous beadwork, with overlapping circles that symbolize moving together toward positive change.