Government unveils terms of MMIW inquiry

The Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls says it’s disappointed “police action” is not explicitly stated in the national inquiry’s terms of references.

On Wednesday, 10 months after Justin Trudeau’s government was sworn in, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett finally announced the long-overdue inquiry. More importantly, we recognize the courage of the women who have shared their experiences and dared to break the silence.

“This inquiry is needed to achieve justice and healing and to put an end to this ongoing and awful tragedy”.

It wasn’t until Canada’s first aboriginal justice minister took the stage to outline a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women that the tears began to stream down Lorelei Williams’ face and she let herself believe that this time things might be different.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that after many years of dismissing calls for an inquiry – as was the case under the Harper government – abandoning this promise now would be an intractable impediment to true reconciliation with Canada’s indigenous communities.

The five commissioners that will be responsible for carrying out the probe, include Marion Buller, B.C.’s first female First Nations judge; Michele Audette, former president of the NWAC; Qajaq Robinson, an Ottawa-based, Nunavut-born lawyer; Marilyn Poitras, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan with a focus on Indigenous law; and Brian Eyolfson, a First Nations lawyer based in Ontario.

The five will hold sessions across Canada and will have the power to compel witnesses to testify and documents turned over to them, as well as listening to the stories of indigenous families who have suffered losses. We heard that the inquiry needs to have the authority to make recommendations relevant to federal, provincial and territorial responsibility.

The inquiry is scheduled to begin on September 1, is expected to last at least two years and cost at least $53.8 million. Another $16.17 million will fund liaison units to help families get information on specific cases.

“The Federal Inquiry is a step forward and we recognize the efforts to bring healing, closure, and a sense of security”.

The official number of missing or murdered indigenous women is 1200, but the Minister of the Status of Women, Patricia Hajdu acknowledged it could be over 4,000 over the decades.

It is expected to be a highly emotional day for a number of long-time advocates who have repeatedly called on the federal government to open a national public inquiry into the phenomenon of missing and murdered indigenous women.

There were also concerns about the composition of the commission.

“We know that the inquiry can not undo the injustices that Indigenous peoples have suffered over decades”, she said, looking directly at the audience of mourning families and advocates in front of her.

“But we can not wait for the inquiry’s recommendations before acting”, Kelley said.

Wilson-Raybould said Wednesday that by examining root causes, including past and present systemic and institutional barriers, the commission will play a key role in defining actions needed to protect the human rights of indigenous women and girls.

These issues “are particularly preoccupying as they go to the very fundamentals of what this inquiry must address”, he said. – National Chief Perry Bellegarde, Assembly of First Nations.

“Systems that are broken need to be fixed”, Bellegarde said.

“It’s not only good for Indigenous peoples; it’s good for Canada”.