THUNDER BAY - Nishnawbe Aski Nation leaders are calling the next stage of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women an important step toward reconciliation.
On Wednesday, the federal government announced the national inquiry will include five commissioners to provide recommendations to the federal, provincial, and territorial governments on how to deal with the high rate of violent crimes against Aboriginal women and girls in Canada.
The inquiry will take place over the next two years and cost an estimated $53.8 million.
NAN Deputy Grand Chief, Anna Betty Achneepineskum, who was in attendance for the announcement in Gatineau, Que., said in a release that it is critical that violence and discrimination against Aboriginal women be addressed, which should include examining police conduct and the quality of investigations.
“We welcome this scrutiny, and expect it will reveal how the chronic underfunding of First Nations policing has hampered investigations into the disappearances and murders of many of our members,” Achneepineskum said.
Achneepineskum added that NAN is disappointed that there is no opportunity for families to re-open old cases through the justice system and that there is a lack of direction on working with justice partners to make improvements.
“It is our expectation that this inquiry will be conducted in consultation with victims, their families and our leaders in an open and transparent manner,” Achneepineskum said. “We acknowledge the grief of the families and recognize that this will be a difficult and painful process.”
Minister of Status of Women, Patty Hajdu, was also in Gatineau for the announcement. She called the launch of the inquiry a crucial point in Canadian history and the first step in eliminating racism and sexism that is holding the nation back.
“Changing these attitudes and practices will require a steady and honest gaze,” Hajdu said in a speech following the announcement. “Just as important, the inquiry must examine how racism and sexism are embedded in the very institutions that are supposed to help women and girls.”
Hajdu, who is working to develop a national strategy to address gender-based violence in Canada, said the loss of so many indigenous women, who continue to be lost, a tragedy that touches all Canadians.
“We cannot move forward until we face and recognize and put a stop to this ongoing tragedy,” she said. “Until that time, our entire country will live under its shadow and the consequences of our inaction.”
