Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
MP Neville wants Ottawa to look into disappearance of aboriginal women
OTTAWA - Manitoba Liberal MP Anita Neville is asking Ottawa to launch a public and independent investigation of the disappearances of hundreds of aboriginal women in the last few decades.
Over 245 aboriginal women and girls have been murdered or gone missing since 2000. Since 1970, the number is 520.
Seventy-one of them are from Manitoba, including three who have been missing for less than a year now.
Neville said if those numbers represented any other community the outcry would be enormous but because they are aboriginal, their cases are being overlooked.
She said if the government decides an inquiry is warranted that would be great but she said there are many options here to look at the common themes among the lives of the murdered and missing, including the response to missing persons' reports by police, the media and the community at large.
Todd Russell, Liberal MP and aboriginal affairs critic, said the families of these women deserve to know what happened.
"It’s never too late for justice," said Russell.
Helena Guergis, Conservative Minister of State for the status of women, said during question period the government is funding the Sisters in Spirit project with $1 million a year.
The project, run by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, is documenting the stories of the missing women.
Neville said it’s time for the government to do more than record the stories, and actually take steps to figure out why this is happening so aboriginal women can be safer.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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