232696
232902

Canada  

Chiefs divided on inquiry

First Nations leaders are divided on what to do about the troubled inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde says.

Some want a reset of the commission while others want resignations from the four commissioners, Bellegarde said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press prior to a vote on resolutions at a Regina meeting of chiefs.

Bellegarde is steering a middle course, saying the commission needs to focus all of its energy on ensuring the stories of families are front and centre, adding it is critical for the commission to improve communications going forward.

"Our chiefs are divided," he said. "Some want a total reset, some want to start fresh and then there are others that are saying 'You know, we should be empowering those commissioners, we should be supporting those commissioners, we should be praying for those commissioners because they have a tough job, they're dealing with hurt and pain'."

The inquiry has spent weeks fending off criticism from some families who have loudly expressed concern about the process and the recent resignations of senior staffers and a commissioner, Marilyn Poitras.

Two of the remaining commissioners — Michele Audette and Brian Eyolfson — addressed some of those concerns directly Wednesday night at the AFN annual meeting in Regina.

There are also family members encouraging the commissioners, Audette said Wednesday.

"There's a silent group … that are saying 'stay, don't give up'," she told reporters. "We hear that too."



More Canada News