Inquiry to visit Saskatoon to hear loved ones’ stories

Advocate hails decision to include city in hearings, expects hundreds to attend

Staff with the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women will travel to Saskatoon in October to hear the stories of those who have lost loved ones to violence.

Marion Buller, chief commissioner of the inquiry, announced on Thursday the dates of nine hearings that will be held in communities across Canada between September and December.

Hearings will happen in Saskatoon the week of Oct. 23.

It’s welcome news for Darlene Okemaysim-Sicotte, the Saskatoon woman who co-chairs the Women Walking Together group that strives to raise awareness about the human rights crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Okemaysim-Sicotte said she expects the inquiry will hear from more than 200 people in Saskatoon either through public hearings, written statements or hearings behind closed doors.

Though many people will find it painful to relive their experiences, Okemaysim-Sicotte said several families feel it’s important to tell their stories.

“They’ll want the public to know this is really happening, these are real stories,” she said. “They really want their loved one to be known as a human being. They’ll want to share what this person wanted for their lives, they’ll want to share how they’re missed, they’ll want to share their experience of the process.”

The nine hearings announced Thursday are the first to be scheduled since the inaugural hearings were held in Whitehorse last month.

The national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, which was launched in September 2016, has recently faced criticism for its slow progress.

But Buller told reporters Thursday that it’s moving at “lightning speed” given the scope of its task.

“We have to put this in the right context,” Buller said. “In eight months, we hired staff, we opened offices, we put life to our terms of reference and we held our first hearing.”

The inquiry has also seen a number of resignations lately. The announcement by executive director Michèle Moreau that she will step down later this month comes on the heels of resignations of Chantale Courcy, former director of operations, and Tanya Kappo, exmanager of community relations.

Buller told reporters people are leaving “because of personal reasons and for positive reasons,” including other job offers.

“We expect turnover in our staff,” she said.

Inquiry staff will start the fall and winter hearings in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Sept. 10 and from there will move to Smithers, B.C., Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Halifax, Edmonton, Yellowknife and Maliotenam, Que. Rankin Inlet in Nunavut will be the final stop in 2017, with hearings there scheduled for the week of Dec. 4.

Buller said hearings will be held in smaller communities in 2018.

The inquiry’s first interim report is due in November and a final report due by the end of 2018.

Buller said the inquiry plans to ask for an extension on that date, but hasn’t made the request yet.

They’ll want to share what this person wanted for their lives, they’ll want to share how they’re missed, they’ll want to share their experience of the process.

DARLENE OKEMAYSIM-SICOTTE, co-chair,

Women Walking Together

A group raising awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women