ONWA’s Analysis of the Interim Report; National Inquiry

Press Release

November 20, 2017

The Ontario Native Women’s Association has been anxiously awaiting the release of the Interim report of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

We recognize the enormity of the work contained within the mandate and we thank the Commissioners for the work they have completed. We also want to be clear that this is not the Inquiry we asked for and it will likely not get the results we need, but it is the Inquiry we have.

First, what we liked about the Interim Report.

• Building on what has come before: The report provides a good summary of the latest statistics Canada information and the detailed analysis of past reports.
• The focus on healing: We strongly agree that there needs to be a reinvestment in the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

Even with these strengths the Inquiry continues to struggle to meet its mandate as is evident from the gaps in information and critical errors contained within this report. From the beginning the Inquiry has suffered from confusion of purpose. This is rooted in a deep compassion for the family members that the commissioners and the government have been working with. We recognize that the Inquiry deeply connected with some families when the lead commissioner started talking about “our families.” Perhaps they did not recognize that by “owning” some families they would split families and communities, between the families connected with the Inquiry and government from other families, including provincial and national coalitions of families that have been asking for a restart to the Inquiry.

The report raised a number of concerns for us.

“One of the main concerns of the Interim report opens stating that the report cannot be reproduced without permission by the Government of Canada. Contrast that to the Truth and Reconciliation Reports which says ”This report is in the public domain. Anyone may, without charge or request for permission, reproduce all or part of this report.” The purpose of all of this work is to find answers and for us to collectively take responsibility for the change that will need to happen to end the violence against Indigenous women and girls. We cannot start too early to educate all of us.” Cora-Lee McGuire-Cyrette, Executive Director

For more information, please contact:

Julia King, Executive Assistant
Tel: 807-577-1490 ∙ Email: jking@onwa.ca

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