CASW – Letter to Premiers re: MMIW Inquiry

Press Release

In August, CASW sent letters to each Canadian Premier requesting that an Order in Council be passed immediately to support full, transparent, and open communication with the national MMIW inquiry Commissioners and relevant federal officials.

August 17, 2016

Council of the Federation

Dear Premiers,

The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is the national association voice for the profession of social work in Canada, with a dual mandate to promote the profession, as well as advance issues of social justice. To this end CASW has continually supported the leadership of Indigenous organizations and individuals in their call for a national inquiry on murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls (MMIW) and a subsequent concrete framework for action and reconciliation.

CASW commends the federal government for its leadership in committing to a national MMIW inquiry. However, after a review of the scope, CASW has deep concerns at the absence of formal and coordinated commitments from the provincial and territorial governments in support of the announced MMIW inquiry.

To this point, the Terms of Reference for the inquiry contain no established framework for the full cooperation of each province and territory in openly sharing all relevant information with the MMIW inquiry. This concern has been expressed by Indigenous leaders and organizations including the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC).

For its part, CASW has publicly commended the Council of the Federation’s ongoing support for a MMIW national inquiry and in this regard, CASW was pleased to note that a high degree of support for an inquiry emerged during recent Council of the Federation meetings in Whitehorse.

As a key piece to reconciliation in Canada, CASW is requesting respectfully of each Premier that an Order in Council be passed immediately to support full, transparent, and open communication with the national MMIW inquiry Commissioners and relevant federal officials. Ideally, the OC would include a commitment to compel witness testimony or secure evidence from provincial and territorial bodies, such as child welfare services, police, and corrections.

Despite acknowledged differences between provincial and territorial contexts, CASW firmly believes that the success of the inquiry will be guaranteed only through a formal legal commitment from each province and territory.

To this end, CASW thanks you in advance for your leadership and commitment to moving forward an OC immediately to authorize the MMIW inquiry in Alberta.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Christianson-Wood, MSW, RSW
President, Canadian Association of Social Workers

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