MMIWG Fact Sheet: What is the National Inquiry? (06/27/2017)

Press Release

Mandate

The mission of the National Inquiry (NI) is to learn the truth by honouring the lives and legacies of Indigenous women, girls and members of the LGBTQ2S community. Three goals are:

1. Finding the truth
2. Honouring the truth
3. Giving life to the truth as a path to healing

It is important to provide those sharing their stories with a culturally safe space that they can access with support surrounding them.

Our work is connected to the land and rooted in traditions that have kept Indigenous communities strong for thousands of years.

What are we looking into?

The NI examines police files, Crown Prosecution files, asking questions of Victim Services to see if there any patterns of conduct by police forces and government institutions they may tell us more about any high occurrence of violence experienced by women, girls and members of the LGBTQ2S community.

• Identify practices by police, other organizations that have been successful in reducing the rate of violence, death and unexplained disappearances.
• Examine the impact of colonialism including the impact of intergenerational violence and the removal of children.
• Look at the impact of racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system on sentences given to perpetrators.
• Look at practices of communities who provide support and empowerment to women, girls, and LGBTQ2S.
• Examine discrimination experienced by Indigenous members of the two-spirited, lesbian, transgendered, gender fluid, and bisexual community and how they may be at higher incidence of risk.
• Identify any institutional or societal roles which may have increased the vulnerability of women and girls to experience violence later in life such as child welfare interventions, poverty and Indigenous gangs, etc.

How do I participate?

Email us at profile@mmiwg-ffada.ca or phone us at 1-844-348-4119 so that you or your family members are included in the National Inquiry process.

You can share your story in many ways: in writing, through art, song, with a statement taker or in person. You do not need “standing” to share your story as a witness. Standing is for organizations, institutions, etc. who wants to participate in the Truth Finding Process.

Any new information that comes to the attention of the National Inquiry that points an unsolved violent death, suspicious death, wrongful death, disappearance or crime of violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ2S can be taken to the appropriate authorities.

What can’t the National Inquiry do?

• Re-investigate or re-open individual cases to try to solve them.
• Declare legal fault or blame for a failed investigation, prosecution, search and rescue, failure to save a life, or for committing acts of violence, including murder.
• Award any sums of money for compensation.
• Interfere with any active criminal investigations if to do so might jeopardize the investigation.

Who is considered a family member to a missing or murdered loved one?

Blood relatives, adopted family members, foster care relatives, close friends, family of the heart all may be “family”.

How will the National Inquiry define missing or murdered?

The Commissioners will hear all stories, even those instances where death may have been ruled a suicide, accident, or has been classified as “undetermined.”

What will the National Inquiry classify as violence against women, girls, and LGBTQ2S?

Sexual, physical, family, and systemic types of violence will all be considered- including discrimination, racism, and perpetuation of hyper-sexualized images of Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ2S.

Our Commissioners

Chief Commissioner Marion Buller is a member of the Mistawasis First Nation, SK.

Commissioner Marilyn Poitras is Métis, tracing her origins through her father’s Michif family.

Commissioner Qajaq Robinson was born in Iqaluit and raised in Igloolik. She’s a strong Northern advocate who is fluent in Inuktitut.

Commissioner Brian Eyolfson is a member of Couchiching First Nation in northwestern Ont.

Commissioner Michèle Audette is the daughter of an Innu mother and a Quebecois father.

Information

Toll-free: 1-844-348-4119
General information: info@mmiwg-ffada.ca
Fax: 604-775-5009
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Vancouver, BC V6C 2N3
www.mmiwg-ffada.ca
Emergency telephone line, 24 hrs, 7 days: 1-844-413-6649

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