Protesters want probe of missing women
OTTAWA — They gathered by the hundreds on the rain-soaked steps of Parliament Hill, carrying sombre reminders of murdered and missing aboriginal women — and demanding justice from the federal government.
Many brandished photos of lost loved ones as they urged the federal government to hold a national public inquiry into an alarming number of native women in Canada — 600, according to one estimate — they fear have fallen prey to violent crime.
Laurie Odjick, from the Quebec First Nations community of Kitigan Zibi, clutched an image of her daughter, Maisy, missing since 2008. “I love these gatherings because I get to meet other families who are going through the same things we are. We come here for strength.”
The Sisters in Spirit vigil was one of 216 held around the world.
“If you heard that 600 women were murdered or missing in Ottawa do you think we’d have to have demonstrations to get an inquiry,” said New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair.
An estimated 600 cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada date back to the 1960s. The Native Women’s Association of Canada says there are many more. RCMP say they do not collect data on the ethnicity of missing women.
Ottawa’s vigil came as a top United Nations representative was set to arrive in Canada on an official visit to take stock of indigenous rights.
Starting Monday, James Anaya, the UN special rapporteur on indigenous rights, will travel the country to hear from government officials and representatives of the aboriginal community. He is scheduled to hold a news conference in Ottawa on Oct. 15.