Families of missing and murdered indigenous women gathered on Parliament Hill Tuesday to voice their anger over the lack of progress in the inquiry.
âWeâre losing our loved ones even now,â said victimâs family member Jocelyn Wabano-Iahtail. âWeâve put a lot of work into this and to have it fall away the way it has, that has been a source of frustration.â
The inquiry launched in Aug. 2016 has spent more than $5 million, but family members told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ theyâre concerned about the delays and lack of communication.
âFor each month that passed there was an uncomfortable silence, almost a bit of secrecy taking place with this organization,â said Francyne Joe, interim president of the Native Womenâs Association of Canada. âWe need to ensure there is no secrecy, there needs to be transparency and inclusion and we need to ensure the families are being put forth first.â
Last week about 40 families and indigenous activists wrote a letter criticizing the inquiry and the commissioner, calling it disorganized, slow and culturally insensitive.
âIf we have been heard and we were being seen, we would see that in terms of actionâ said Wabano-Iahtail.
Families and indigenous groups said they are ready to take action if needed.
âWe are prepared to take blockades against this inquiry,â said family member John Fox.
However, lead commissioner Marion Buller defended the process.
âIt takes time to do it right and we intend to do it right,â she said at press meeting last week. âThatâs the only way thatâs fair to honour the spirits of the lost women and girls and honour the spirits of the survivors.â
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also defended the commissioners.
âWe trust the commissioners to do the work that we laid out that they need to do,â he said.
However, sources close to the inquiry have said the fall deadline for the inquiry is unlikely to be achieved as there are a lot of problems, such as taking on a too-broad mandate, a lot of red tape and a lack of leadership.
Jamie Koebel knows the dangers faced by indigenous women -- she ran away from home after being sexually assaulted as a young girl. She is still holding out hope that the inquiry will change things for future generations.
âI just want women to have a safe place to tell our story and that our story is going to count towards some changes,â she said.
With files from CTVâs Mercedes Stephenson in Ottawa