Provincial Leaders Agree On Need For Action On Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women

20 priorities in 3 areas

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is pleased with progress on the matter of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. “I was extremely pleased with the level of commitment and collaboration demonstrated during our discussions with all Indigenous, federal, provincial, and territorial leaders,” stated National Chief, Dwight Dorey. “We must move decisively to prevent and reduce the unacceptable level of violence that many Indigenous women and girls have endured for far too long.” Provincial leaders met Friday with First Nations leaders agreeing on the need for urgent and coordinated action to prevent and address the issue. They laid out 20 priorities for action in three areas: prevention and awareness; community safety; and culturally relevant policing measures and justice response. An RCMP report puts the number of victims at more than 1200. Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says the number is much “bigger than that.”