What’s next for the investigation into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

Why are so many Indigenous women and girls missing? Image shows woman's face on a smartphone cover with the words Forever in my heart, Virgina Pictou, 1967-1993.
That was the question at the heart of a Canada-wide investigation that just finished. It was called the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Image shows hand holding eagle feather.
The Canadian government launched the project in 2016. The goal was to understand why so many Indigenous women and girls become the victims of violence.
It’s hard to track exact numbers, but inquiry officials say a “staggering” number of Indigenous women are murdered in Canada every year. They say those numbers are rising. Image shows arms cradling a framed photo of a girl.
The inquiry held hearings across Canada. Family members and other experts told their stories. They collected their tear-soaked tissues and burned them in sacred fires during the closing ceremonies. Image shows brown paper bag on the floor with the word tears written on the side.
Now the hope is to map out some solutions to protect more Indigenous women and girls from getting hurt. Commissioners plan to give the Canadian government a final report by April 2019. Image shows protesters holding signs with a painting of a girl on them and words that say Every girl is my daughter.