MMIWG Update: National Inquiry to move forward with Parts II and III of Truth Gathering Process

Press Release

VANCOUVER, April 23, 2018 – The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will hold two Institutional Hearings (part II) and two Expert Panel Hearings (part III) in May and June 2018. The subjects the Chief Commissioner and Commissioners will focus on will include human rights, government services, racism, and policing.

The multi-day hearings, delivered through in-person meetings, will include the participation of Parties with Standing and will be open and accessible to the public. The hearing dates and locations include:

• May 14 – 17, 2018: Expert Hearing on Human Rights Framework, Quebec City, QC
• May 28 – June 1, 2018: Institutional Hearing on Government Services, location to be announced
• June 12 – 14, 2018: Expert Hearing on Racism, Greater Toronto area, ON
• June 25 – 29, 2018: Institutional Hearing on Police Policies and Practices, Regina, SK

In order to move forward with the Truth Gathering Process, the National Inquiry closed registration on April 20^th for family members and survivors participating in Community Hearings and Statement Gatherings (Part I). To date, over 1,200 family members and survivors have imparted their truths to the National Inquiry through 15 Community Hearings and 8 Statement Gathering events across the country.

There are approximately 500 family members and survivors that are registered and still need to share their truths. The National Inquiry is working hard to get to everyone who registered up until today.

“Commissioners and staff extend our deepest gratitude to the more than 1,700 family members and survivors who registered to share their personal stories with the National Inquiry since the fall of 2016,” said Chief Commissioner Marion Buller. “The closing of registration represents a significant milestone, which enables us to continue our investigation and look closer at the recurring themes and underlying issues raised at the Community Hearings.”

The Commissioners will continue to work toward meeting the November 2018 final report deadline as they have not heard anything from the federal government regarding the two-year extension that was submitted last month.

Complete hearing details will be shared in the coming weeks as witness lists and schedules are finalized.

For further information: Released By: National Inquiry Communications, E-mail: media@mmiwg-ffada.ca; Communications Lead: Nadine Gros-Louis, Email: n.gros-louis@mmiwg-ffada.ca, Phone: (581) 305-2199