We are taught all about colonialism, residential schools and the assimilation of FN peoples in Canadian universities. As an education major, the indigenous studies course is mandatory and it is taught by an Aboriginal person and focuses largely on residential schools and the effects of colonization, as well as focusing on Aboriginal spirituality and tribal history. It is no longer ignored by the education system. It is very integrated and actually, is a large focus for the education system, at least at the university I attend.
I recently wrote a research paper on missing Aboriginal women in Canada and concluded that most of the missing Aboriginal women shared similar lifestyle factors. The number 500 is not an official number. As was said already, there is no database of missing Aboriginal women. SIS was trying to create one but the Canadian government stopped funding to them last year, I believe. The number 500 was a result of research preformed by the NWAC and refers to the number of missing or murdered Aboriginal women.
I came to the conclusion that many of these women shared high risk lifestyle factors which included prostitution, transiency, and alcohol or drug use. This is NOT an attempt to blame the victim; I believe it's important in identifying the underlying cause of this epidemic. I came to believe this in reading NUMEROUS missing women files, conducting an interview with a detective at KARE as well as a veteran crime reporter, watching Finding Dawn and reading texts. The larger issue involves providing community support, childhood intervention and funding to Aboriginal people.
However, I will not deny that there is certainly a particular image that white Canadian society has of aboriginal women--easy, squaws, prostitutes--that perhaps perpetuates stereotypes that certainly results in predators targeting aboriginal women. Obviously, John Crawford is an example of one such predator although, many other are out there who have not been caught.