Summary:
The national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls released its final report at a closing ceremony held June 3, 2019.
The Call to Action:
We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal organizations, to appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls. The inquiry’s mandate would include:
i. Investigations into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.
ii. Links to the intergenerational legacy of residential schools.
Analysis:
The national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls released its final report at a closing ceremony held June 3, 2019. The report concluded missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls are victims of a “Canadian genocide,” and commissioners issued 231 recommendations.
The inquiry had been plagued with problems including delays, staff departures and criticism that its mandate did not go far enough; it could not order police to launch investigations or reopen cases previously closed.
The inquiry also cannot compel governments or agencies to implement its recommendations.
The federal government first announced the launch of a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in December 2015.
In August 2016, it announced the details of the inquiry. The expected cost would be $53.8 million and it would last 820 days, to be wrapped up by December 2018.
Within the terms of reference of the inquiry, there was no mention of residential schools. But it was to take into consideration previous reports completed, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report. Within the terms, it also stated that the commissioners must report on the “systemic causes of all forms of violence — including sexual violence — against Indigenous women and girls in Canada, including underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional and historical causes contributing to the ongoing violence and particular vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and girls in Canada.”
In early 2018 the inquiry’s commissioners asked for a two-year extension and $50 million more. In June 2018, the federal government gave the inquiry until April 30, 2019, to submit its final report and until June 30, 2019, to wind down its operations.
In terms of additional funding for the extension, the federal government provided $21.3 million over three years to increase health supports and victim services for survivors and families; $5.42 million to extend the availability of Family Information Liaison Units and funding for community-based organizations to support families beyond the life of the inquiry; $10 million over two years to establish a commemoration fund; $1.25 million over two years to fund organizations with expertise in law enforcement and policing to lead a review of police policies and practices; and $9.6 million over five years to support the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s new National Investigative Standards and Practices Unit.