Chiefs call for reset of MMIW inquiry
Bid to replace commissioners voted down
Chiefs gathered at the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting in Regina passed a resolution calling for changes to the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The resolution calls upon the federal government to reset and change the mandate and process of the troubled inquiry.
A second resolution calling for an overhaul and for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to replace the inquiry’s commissioners did not pass.
Two of the commissioners spoke to the AFN meeting Wednesday night, where they tried to explain the testimony process. But several families said the inquiry had already failed because they don’t trust the process and because it doesn’t hold police to account.
Earlier in the day, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde told The Canadian Press that Indigenous leaders were divided on what to do about the inquiry.
“Some want a total reset, some want to start fresh and then there are others that are saying, ‘You know, we should be empowering those commissioners, we should be supporting those commissioners, we should be praying for those commissioners because they have a tough job, they’re dealing with hurt and pain,’ ” he said.
The inquiry has spent weeks fending off criticism from some families who have loudly expressed concern about the process and the recent resignations of senior staffers and a commissioner, Marilyn Poitras.
Two of the remaining commissioners — Michele Audette and Brian Eyolfson — addressed some of those concerns directly Wednesday night at the AFN annual meeting in Regina.
Another theme that has emerged at the meeting is concern about police failing to conduct adequate investigations into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada, Bellegarde said Thursday, adding policing must be a priority during the course of the commission’s work.
“The families wanted to make sure, the chiefs wanted to make sure that the terms of reference for the missing and murdered Indigenous women inquiry (are) broad enough and expansive enough to review … police services that impact our people on a daily basis,” he said. “As national chief, I would encourage the commissioners to use their powers and push the envelope … to ensure that all police services are reviewed, that they questioned, and hopefully some recommendations brought forward to fix what obviously is not working.”
The national inquiry can and will consider the conduct of policing services and policies across Canada in 14 federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions, commission spokesperson Bernee Bolton said in a statement.
Depending on the province, there are differences in the powers of the national inquiry to consider police conduct, she added, noting there is a forensic team currently reviewing police files.
“In B.C., the commissioners cannot make findings of misconduct,” she said. “In other jurisdictions such as Ontario, the commissioners can make findings of misconduct. In all jurisdictions the national inquiry can refer information on specific cases back to authorities for reinvestigation.”
THEY HAVE A TOUGH JOB, THEY’RE DEALING WITH HURT AND PAIN.