Families provide direction

Open letter: Families provide direction for national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

Dear Ministers:

We are a group of families from the traditional territories of the Indigenous peoples living in the Province of British Columbia. We are family members of loved ones who have gone missing or who are now passed on to the spirit world after being violently murdered. We are writing after hearing that there is planning ahead for a pre-inquiry process, which will then lead to a National Inquiry to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. We are writing to advise of our experiences (or lack of experiences) in the Oppal Inquiry, which took place here in Vancouver from 2012-2014.

First of all, we are relieved to hear that there is a pre-inquiry process being planned in order for our voices to be heard. This did not happen with the Oppal Inquiry. We want to ensure that you are aware of the issues that we, as families, had to deal with as a result of the lack of consultations with the Province of British Columbia. We believe that there are many lessons learned from the Oppal Inquiry that can be addressed in the planning of the National Inquiry.

1) When the Oppal Inquiry began, the Province of BC already had appointed a Commissioner, its staff and the terms of reference finalized. No one had any opportunity to make recommendations for anything. We believe that Commissioners for the National Inquiry be appointed with consultations with families and advocates of MMIWG to advise of who the Commissioners should be. We would recommend four Commissioners.

2) Families need to be informed about what an Inquiry actually is and what it will do.

3) The Terms of Reference should not already be set in stone, as they were in the Oppal Inquiry. Consultations with families and advocates must include the discussions of the Terms of Reference.

4) Families must be informed about the process at all stages

5) There must be a Family/Advocate Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Commissioners at all stages of the inquiry.

6) All families and advocate organizations must be given immediate standing and proper resources provided to legal counsel at the Inquiry. This did not happen at the Oppal Inquiry and we, as families, were totally silenced.

7) Proper support (ie. mental health counsellors, Elder guidance) provided at the pre-inquiry and inquiry process. We feel that we will also require supports for at least a year after the National Inquiry and right now. Families are already being triggered.

We look forward to meeting you when you come to Vancouver. We wish to reiterate that you must meet with families in northern communities as well as on Vancouver Island.

Lorelei Williams, Michele Pineault, Elaine Williams, Harriet Prince, CJ Julian, Bernie Williams, Lillian Howard, Gertie Pierre, Melody Pierre, Lila Purcell and Mona Woodward