After facing sometimes severe criticism for delays and lack of information the inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls, has announced yet more delays this week.
For years aboriginal and advocacy groups had called for a national inquiry into the seemingly disproportionate number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
In August of last year the Trudeau Liberal government announced it would proceed and set up an independent inquiry.
Since then, the MMIWG inquiry has held only one meeting with families of victims and as of early May had spent at least five million dollars of its 54 million dollar budget. The first and only meeting for the inquiry was held on May 30 in Whitehorse Yukon.
Since then, there have been a number of high level resignations from the inquiry, including the senior communications advisor, and one of the commissioners themselves. Although various reasons have been given, it seems there is discontent with how the inquiry is being run.
Many aboriginal leaders are angry at delays and lack of communication and have been calling for the chief commissioner to step down and have the inquiry completely reorganized.
To deflect criticism, embattled chief commissioner Marion Buller had announced further hearings for Thunder Bay, Ontario in September to be followed by hearings in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Rankin Inlet Nunavut.
The decision to start hearings in the northern Ontario city came under fire from indigenous groups in the area who say they need time to heal from a series of tragedies. The Ontario Native Women’s Association, which has already called for the troubled inquiry to be dismantled and restarted sent a letter earlier this month saying the MMIW should have known that indigenous groups needed time to deal with community problems, deaths, and suicides. Additionally they say none of the 12 indigenous organisations in the area had been contacted regarding emotional supports prior to testifying or to deal with the trauma after testifying.
The MMIW announced this week that the Thunder Bay meeting will now be put back until December, and the other hearings will also be postponed.
In spite of much criticism, chief commissioner Buller has said she will not step down. She has indicated that the commission will require more time than the original two years of its mandate, and more money.
Additional information- sources
- Globe and Mail: G Galloway: Jul 20/17: delays hearing
- CBC: N Macdonald: May 20/17: MMIW bureaucratic incompetence
- Canadian Press: (via CBC): Jul 13/17: PM avoids MMIW questions
- CBC:Jul 20/17: meetings rescheduled
- National Post: M Forrest: Jul 20/17: Buller on MMIWG challenges
- CBC: B Morin: Jul 12/17: families : what is going on with MMIW?
- CBC: Yeung/Nair: Jul 6/17: MMIWG announce fall hearings
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.