Canada Launches Inquiry Into Murdered And Missing Indigenous Women

Canada’s government has launched a long-awaited national inquiry into the murder or disappearance of hundreds of indigenous women, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised a “total renewal” of the country’s relationship with its aboriginal population.

Speaking to an Assembly of First Nations (AFN) special chiefs gathering in Gatineau, Québec, the Liberal leader announced that his government had begun the process to create the inquiry into the nearly 1,200 indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or who have gone missing in Canada over the past three decades.

Activists, aboriginal leadership and many victims’ families have been calling for a national inquiry for more than five years – a move which was resisted by Trudeau’s conservative predecessor, Stephen Harper.

“The victims deserve justice, their families an opportunity to heal and to be heard,” said Trudeau. “We must work together to put an end to this ongoing tragedy.”

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said that over the next two months the government will consult victims’ families and Aboriginal leaders to gather their views on the design, scope and parameters of the full inquiry, expected to begin sometime next spring.

“No inquiry can undo what happened nor can it restore what was lost, but it can help us find a way forward,” she said.

Claudette Commanda, an Algonquin First Nations member and activist who was invited to Tuesday’s announcement, called it a “historical event”.

“It is time to hear their voices, it is time for justice,” she said.

The first phase will also include an online component with background information, a survey and discussion guide accessible to all Canadians.