The Ontario Native Women’s Association ONWA has announced a soon-to-be-released toolkit and curriculum to help prevent human trafficking in Indigenous communities.

The three-part Anti-Human Trafficking Toolkit is designed for educators and parents as a way to recognize the signs of grooming and exploitation.

Collin Graham, Ontario Native Women’s Association Community Development Manager from Ochiichagwe’ Babigo’Ining Ojibway First Nation, says that human trafficking is a new concept for Indigenous and First Nation communities caused by the impact of colonization and that it is a disruption to Indigenous women’s connection to their land.

“It’s a new concept to Indigenous women girls and 2 spirit people…The language In Ojibway we do not have words for exploitation, we do not have words for sex work or prostitution…The fact we don’t have those words in our language means it did not happen.”