Indigenous leaders divided in support for MMIW inquiry’s extension request

OTTAWA A request for a two-year extension from the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is getting a mixed response from First Nations leaders.

Commissioners formally asked the government Tuesday for more time and another $50 million to allow it to finish its work by December 2020.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada said it supports the revised timetable, saying more time is necessary for the commission to fulfil its mandate of uncovering the root causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls.

The group’s president, Francyne Joe, said the extension will allow the inquiry to hear from survivors and family members who still want to share their stories.

“The inquiry has a great deal of work to do on behalf of Indigenous women and girls,” Joe said in a statement.

“Without more time to complete a full array of expert and institutional hearings, the inquiry risks simply replicating existing research.”

The association comprises 13 native women’s groups from across Canada.

But Grand Chief Sheila North of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a group that represents 30 First Nations in the province’s north, said on social media she can’t support the extension without changes to the commission’s leadership.

“It’s not too late to make process more meaningful for #MMIW families/survivors,” she posted on Twitter.