December 8, 2015 – Ottawa, ON – Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

The Government of Canada today announced the launch of a national inquiry to address the high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The Government will immediately begin engaging with survivors, family members and loved ones of victims, as well as National Aboriginal, provincial, and territorial representatives to seek their views on the design and scope of the inquiry. These meetings will be led by the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women.

In the New Year, meetings will continue across Canada that involve family members and a range of provincial, territorial, justice and front-line workers, as well as Indigenous women’s organizations. The Government of Canada believes that an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls can only be designed after hearing from those directly affected.

A discussion guide has been developed and will soon be available on-line to help focus meetings on this inquiry design process. It highlights important elements and key questions about the inquiry’s potential design. This includes questions about who should conduct the inquiry, the length of the inquiry, who should be heard, and what issues should be considered. Canadians and stakeholders are also encouraged to submit their own answers to these questions in a soon to be launched on-line survey.

At the end of this engagement process, the Government will report back on what has been heard from the participants. The views and ideas expressed by all participants will allow the Government to develop the inquiry, including the mandate, the terms of reference, the format of the Inquiry, and the timeline.