OTTAWA-The Trudeau Liberal government is expected to announce its long-awaited inquiry into the high number of murdered and missing Indigenous women Tuesday and is planning to hold its first meeting with families Friday.
Advertisement
Former prime minister Stephen Harper has said these tragedies were not due to a sociological phenomenon but rather were crimes to be investigated by police.
In a speech to the Assembly of First Nations winter gathering that opened this morning in Gatineau, Que., Trudeau vowed to study the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
The police reviewed cases from 1980 to 2013 and found 1,181 aboriginal women fell into the missing or murdered category nearly double earlier estimates. This includes identifying and addressing the root social, political and economic causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls, and respecting the rights of all Indigenous peoples.
Critics have said an inquiry would likely take years to complete and cost millions of dollars, while its eventual recommendations will echo previous inquiries on inequalities faced by Indigenous communities and lack enforcement power.
Speaking to CKNW’s Simi Sara, Oppal says the fact the Trudeau government is willing to launch the inquiry, acknowledge there is a problem, and hear from those affected is a “real step towards a solution”. The federal government will speak with families of victims to ask how the inquiry should be organized.
“The victims deserve justice, their families an opportunity to be heard”, the Associated Press reported him as telling the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly in Gatineau, Quebec, after which he received a standing ovation. “This inquiry is necessary to address and prevent future violence”. “As we chart a path forward, we will work hand-in-hand with Indigenous organizations, the federal government and other provinces and territories to strengthen existing initiatives and take a coordinated approach to ending violence against Indigenous women and girls”. “It is time for a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations peoples”, he told an assembly of chiefs in Ottawa. “The announcement comes after months of organizing and pressure from First Nations communities and leadership and is a collective success”, said Deputy Grand Chief Denise Stonefish of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians.
Ganley said a gauge of provincial attitudes, as well as consultation with First Nations and Métis to determine what areas need the most focus, will help improve the lives of women.
Advertisement
After ministers receive public input on the process with priority given to families of missing and murdered indigenous women, the inquiry will be launched at a national level.
