Final oral submissions for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls wrapped up this week in Ottawa.
Johannes Lampe, president of the Nunatsiavut Government in Labrador, told the inquiry that reducing the incidents of violence and deaths among Inuit in Labrador is critical.
“We are of the view that measurable actions mush be taken in everything,” he said.
“The poor social determinants of health, Inuit self-governance, and particularly participation in national, provincial, and territorial governance is the most effective means of ensuring policies, programs, services and practice approach are appropriate of indigenous communities and people.”
Katherine Hensel of the Association of Native Child and Family Service Agencies of Ontario urged the commissioners to ensure any proposed federal legislation on child welfare not be limited to children living on reserve.
“We know that many…Indigenous children who’ve been in contact with child welfare…are in urban centres or off-reserve, so we will also be urging the commission to make recommendations that the provinces correct and reverse and eliminate the perverse funding incentives that not only don’t fund prevention, but incentivize the removal of children,” she said.
During the final two weeks of oral submissions — in Calgary and Ottawa — the commission heard from 53 of the parties with standing.
The commissioners are now tasked with analyzing what they’ve heard throughout the inquiry and submitting a final report to the federal government by April 30, 2019.
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