Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

SEPTEMBER 2014 It could just be the nature of the people in my social media networks, but every day I see at least 5-10 references about missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada. Sometimes many, many more. There are calls for inquiries, petitions to sign and sadly, too often, stories about yet another Aboriginal woman who went missing or has been found dead.

FEBRUARY 2015 The Regina city council has added its voice to the growing call on Canada to institute an independent inquiry into the national crisis of 1,200 murdered and missing aboriginal women. A groundbreaking report ( PDF version) issued by the RCMP last year revealed that 1,181 Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in the last 30 years.

The Government of Canada website: national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

JULY 2016 She was a young, beautiful Indigenous woman with three children she loved dearly. She came from the Piikani Nation, a Blackfoot Confederacy community in southern Alberta. "She was always loving, laughing," her mother, Stephanie English, says from her Calgary home. "Joey was a really gentle girl, really caring.

JULY 2016 After launching an investigation last year, CBC News continues to follow up on unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls from across the country. As of today, CBC has added 55 cases to our database, 285 individual cases in total.

JULY 2016 Policing will require close examination during the inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said Thursday after questions were raised about a draft copy of the terms of reference.

JULY 2016 A leading advocate for the welfare of First Nations children and families says she'll have little faith in the upcoming inquiry on murdered and missing Indigenous women unless a funding gap is closed first.

JULY 2016 Sabrina Polchies, a Mi'kmaq woman from the Elsipogtog First Nation, moved to Moncton on Canada Day in 2010 to start a new life, but four days later she was found dead in a Salisbury apartment. The RCMP ruled out foul play in her death six years ago, but members of her family believe Polchies was murdered.

JUNE 2016 Indigenous leaders and advocates say dozens of cases where police determined there was no evidence of foul play must be included in a federal inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. They were responding to a CBC News investigation that uncovered 34 cases in which families disagreed with official findings that their loved ones' deaths or disappearances were not suspicious.

JUNE 2016 Even in retirement, there are police findings former constable Dave Dickson struggles to accept. The Vancouver Police Department's assessment that Ashley Machiskinic did not die in suspicious circumstances is one of them. On Sept. 15, 2010, Machiskinic fell to her death from the fifth floor of the Regent Hotel in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

JUNE 2016 Nearly four decades have gone by and Vicki Hill is still looking for answers to questions about her mother's death. On Tuesday, that may start to change. According to Hill, Staff Sgt. Wayne Cleary of Project E-PANA - a task force that investigates disappearances and deaths of women with connections to three highways in northern B.C.

July 2016 Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada has asked the federal government to appoint a sixth, Inuk commissioner to oversee the upcoming national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

FEBRUARY 2016 Annette Francis APTN National News GATINEAU, Que. - For the past few months, Margaret Buist and her team of 25 employees have been working behind the scenes taking care of the logistics of the pre-inquiry meetings for the families and loved ones of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

MAY 2016 Bernadette Smith's induction into the Order of Manitoba will be bittersweet. On May 12, it was announced that Smith and 10 others will receive the province's highest honour. The 2016 class will be inducted into the Order of Manitoba on July 7 at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

FEBRUARY 2016 Inuit, Métis, and First Nations leaders, families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, federal, provincial and territorial Ministers today committed to ongoing urgent and coordinated action to prevent and address violence against Indigenous women and girls, and to continue this work during the National Inquiry on MMIWG.

JULY 2016 The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Derek Nepinak met with the Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations, Honourable Eileen Clarke, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Honourable Heather Stefanson, SCO Grand Chief Terry Nelson, MKO Grand Chief Sheila North-Wilson, MMF President David Chartrand, Chief Betsy Kennedy, and Chief Dennis Meeches for a roundtable discussion on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

MARCH 2016 The national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) is a long-overdue step towards reconciling Canada's relationship with its aboriginal people. The inquiry, which is slated to begin this summer, seeks to present concrete and achievable recommendations to address and prevent violence against indigenous women and girls.