Aboriginal women: from the oblivion of indifference

Fatima Houda-Pepin

Saturday, 14 October, 2017 09:58

UPDATE
Saturday, 14 October, 2017 09:58

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The fate of the girls and aboriginal women who are victims of violence in Canada is a tragedy. The homicide rate that afflicts is seven times higher than that of non-aboriginal people.

The federal government has finally announced the December 8, 2015, the holding of a national survey to identify “systemic causes” of such violence and to ” recommend effective measures to address it “.

A SURVEY LAME

Initial meetings were held across Canada between December 2015 and February 2016, with survivors and families of victims, as well as with representatives of indigenous peoples at the national, provincial, and territorial governments.

A report on the outcome of this consultation was published in may 2016, and was used to determine the mandate and the scope of the commission of inquiry.

On 3 August 2016, the national Survey of women and girls missing and murdered aboriginal (ENFFADA) has been implemented, and the names of the five commissioners who will lead, revealed. Timeline : two years (2016-2018). Cost of operation : $ 54 million.

Its work had commenced on September 1, 2016. A first interim report was expected at the 1st of November and the final report, the December 31, 2018.

This was before it became embroiled in the intricacies of bureaucratic and political interference, and that it be stricken from paralysis general. Just eight months after its creation, it was already criticized by the same ones that she had to make a pretence of justice.

In April 2017, a coalition of advocacy groups, indigenous women had sounded the alarm and called the year of failure : 1. Lack of communication and inability to reach the witnesses potential ; 2. These last had been delivered in to the care of an autoresponder and an email address to “talk” coolly to the commission. However, several families live in villages that do not even have access to the internet ; 3. Lack of coordination between the federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as with the organizations of indigenous communities ; 4. Inability to develop a reliable portrait of the victims of this tragedy. How much are they ? The RCMP had estimated at 1200. But just over a hundred came forward to testify.

CASCADE OF RESIGNATIONS

It was not necessary any more for that a coalition of organizations, aboriginal and non-aboriginal make public, by 15 may of last year, an open letter to the chief commissioner, Marion Buller, in which she accuses the Inquiry of “lack of transparency” vision, leadership and credibility. Its operation is deemed as “too legalistic” and does not take into account the restorative justice own to the native tradition. The federal government is accused of compromising the independence of the Investigation.

To date, the commission has held two public hearings, the first in Whitehorse, may 29, 2017, and the second in Smithers, British Columbia, on the 28th of September last.

This mess will lead a nine-member staff of the ENFFADA to submit their resignation between February and October 2017 : two communications officers, Michael Hutchison and Sue Montgomery, executive director, Michèle Moreau, the director of operations, Chantale Courcy, the liaison officer with the aboriginal communities, Tanya Kappo, the commissioner, Marilyn Poitras, senior counsel, Susan Vella, and the research director, Aimée Craft.

Prior to extending the mandate of this survey lame for another two years, as requested by the commissioners, it is necessary to make a diagnosis rigorous and ensure that the objectives of this exercise will be achieved. It is the minimum. Out of respect for the memory of women murdered and missing aboriginal, and their families.

Where is he, the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who went to say to the united Nations on 21 September last, that he was going to put an end to the abuse suffered by aboriginal peoples in Canada ?