Indigenous murder victim’s family seeks more help from national inquiry
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reaffirmed his commitment to a national inquiry into the murders and disappearances of indigenous women.
But for Vanessa Brooks, not enough has been done to solve the murder of her sister nearly a decade ago, or those like it.
“At least this prime minister is honouring his words and actions more than the previous one. As for whether he’s doing enough? My answer is ‘ Hell no,’” said Brooks, reached via Facebook by The Chronicle Herald.
The body of Mi’kmaq woman Tanya Brooks, of Millbrook, was found one afternoon eight years ago in a basement window well on the grounds of St. Patrick’s-Alexandra Elementary School in Halifax.
She was 36 years old at the time of her death and a mother to five children. She was last seen around 8:30 the night before.
The Trudeau government launched the independent National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016.
Composed of five commissioners from across the nation, the inquiry is meant to “examine and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against indigenous women and girls in Canada by looking at patterns and underlying factors,” according to the federal government’s website.
But for Brooks, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“They need to work harder with indigenous organizations and families,” she said. “They also need to look into the investigations done by police departments into murders.”
Asked how she thought the police in Halifax had handled her sister’s death, she said the case has left them limited.