ABSTRACT
This chapter explores violence against women within the unique context of the Yukon—a northern territory of Canada where consequences of a colonizing and patriarchal pioneer history persist. The authors—Indigenous scholars, activists, and community workers—have devoted years to advocating for the rights of Indigenous women in Canada’s North. They observe that the safety and rights of Indigenous women continue to be compromised by a culture of impunity where male perpetrators are often not held responsible for their crimes due to unhelpful state responses and where women’s responses to violence are often judged and pathologized. The authors propose these responses should be construed as forms of resistance—a perspective imbedded in the response-based practice (RBP) they advocate. The chapter documents a RBP-informed Yukon social justice activism designed to increase safety for women. After situating violence and the evolution of RBP, a response-based analysis is offered as a guide for exploring violence, resistance/responses, and prospects for victim recovery. The authors apply RBP to a powerful vignette, demonstrating social justice-focused responses to victims of male violence. On a wider scale, they describe their advocacy efforts in contesting victim-blaming and developing safer and respectful communities for women.
