On Mar. 6, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls requested a 24-month extension to its mandate.
The group requested the extension from the federal government. Its completion date is currently set for December 2018.
“The Commissioners and I firmly believe that an additional two years is required to do justice to our critically important mandate for the safety and security of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ people,” said Chief Commissioner Marion Buller.
“The response from families, survivors and Indigenous communities has been overwhelming, and we have a sacred responsibility to them to continue moving forward.”
The National Inquiry has so far heard from 763 witnesses at hearings across the country – including some from Quesnel, who have shared with regards to women who went missing or were murdered along the Highway of Tears.
The Inquiry has also received additional written statements.
A press release from the Inquiry commissioners said they have around 630 more individuals registered to participate. They are seeking more time to hear additional stories from affected family members.
Tony Goulet, the executive director of the Quesnel Tillicum Society and Native Friendship Centre, says the extension to the Inquiry would be a good thing.
“[Those affected] are still in that healing process, and trying to understand what’s going to happen with the Inquiry.
“The wait is a good thing. There is a lot of trauma around it, and people need to understand what happened. [Victims’ families] want their stories told.”
The federal government established the Inquiry in 2015, to examine the evidence behind a disproportionately high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.