Tragedy in Manawan: QNW Stands in Solidarity with the Community and Reaffirms the Urgency to Act

Press Release

Kahnawà:ke, January 28, 2026 – Quebec Native Women (QNW) wishes to respond to the tragedy that occurred last Sunday in the Atikamekw community of Manawan. The organization reiterates that violence against Indigenous women and girls, as well as situations of human distress, remain regrettably all too frequent and point to a deeply troubling reality within communities and in Quebec.

QNW expresses its profound solidarity with the community of Manawan: “I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and to all those who are profoundly affected by this tragedy, which reopens a pain that is all too familiar in our communities, particularly for Indigenous women and girls,” stated Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women.

QNW honours the memory of Marie Kate Ottawa by reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the safety, dignity, and rights of First Nations women and girls. The hypotheses surrounding her death underline the urgency of strengthening collective action and addressing the systemic causes that perpetuate violence, recognized as a fundamental violation of equality and of the individual and collective rights of First Nations women and girls.

For several months, QNW has been intensifying its efforts to respond to the alarming reality faced by women and families, notably through the Roundtable “From Words to Action: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women,” in collaboration with the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA), the Saturviit Inuit Women’s Association of Nunavik (SIWA), and the Atikamekw Council of Opitciwan.

Launched in the fall of 2025, this initiative has brought together allied organizations* around a collective and coordinated approach aligned with the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

“I wish to thank and acknowledge the commitment of all allied organizations that took part in this Roundtable. The work undertaken represents an important step forward, but it is only a first step. Given the urgency of the situation, I call on organizations to sustain, strengthen, and amplify our collective efforts,” stated Ms. Étienne.

Violence against Indigenous women and girls is neither an isolated tragedy nor an inevitability. It is the symptom of a failing system that must be fundamentally transformed. QNW will remain at the forefront of this multidimensional struggle, unfolding across multiple levels of society, to put an end to violence and to support communities.

Faithful to its commitment, the organization will continue its actions in the spirit of General Recommendation No. 39, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Charter of Equality between First Nations Women and Men.

About QNW

Quebec Native Women is a non-profit organization that has represented First Nations women in Quebec, as well as Indigenous women living in urban areas, for over 50 years.

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*List of organizations participating in the QNW Roundtable : AFNQL Council of Women Elected; Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL); Association of First Nations and Inuit Police Directors of Quebec (AFNIPDQ); CAVAC Network; Centre Mamik Saguenay; First Nations of Québec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC); First Nations Quebec Labrador Youth Network; Ministère de la Justice du Québec; MMIWG Secretariat; Protecteur du citoyen; Public Safety Canada; Quebec Native Friendship Centre Movement; Secrétariat à la condition féminine, ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie; Secretariat for Relations with First Nations and Inuit (SRPNI); Sécurité publique du Québec; Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM); Sûreté du Québec; The Québec Family Information Liaison Unit; Union of Québec Municipalities; Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO); Université Laval.

QNW resources :

⦁ Family violence prevention resource guide for Quebec First Nations : Non-violence | Femmes autochtones du Québec

⦁ Consult QNW’s resources: Non-violence | Femmes autochtones du Québec

Contact for information and interview requests:

Meghane Thibodeau
Media Relations Manager
(514) 963-5061 | m.thibodeau@seize03.ca

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