愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Ottawa moves toward creating Indigenous and human rights ombudsperson role

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller speaks as people gather on Parliament Hill for the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women & Girls in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller speaks as people gather on Parliament Hill for the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women & Girls in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Share
OTTAWA -

The federal government announced Tuesday it was appointing a ministerial special representative who will be tasked with providing recommendations for the creation of an Indigenous and human rights ombudsperson role.

At at evening news conference, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said Jennifer Moore Rattray, the former executive director of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, would fill the role.

The inquiry delivered its final report in 2019, which included 231 calls for justice to stem what it characterized as a genocide against Indigenous women and girls.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepted the findings, but his government has faced criticism ever since for not moving fast enough on the recommendations or taking other action in response to further deaths and disappearances.

"We see very legitimate cries for accountability," Miller said Tuesday.

He declined to provide a timeline for when an ombudsperson could be appointed, saying he wants Rattray to steer the process and consultation.

The Liberals are facing renewed political pressure on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women after Winnipeg police confirmed late last year that they believed four women, including three First Nations women and a fourth woman who is still unidentified, were slain by a serial killer.

Police said they believe the remains of at least two of the women, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, are in a landfill outside the city. The third victim whose name is known was Rebecca Contois, and Indigenous leaders are referring to the fourth victim as Buffalo Woman, or Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe.

Ottawa has promised to fund a study about how to search the landfill site after police initially said a search would not be feasible.

Recently, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs issued a statement asking for the public to be patient as it says preparing the study is complex, and a second landfill in expected to be included in its scope.

The accused killer, Jeremy Skibicki, is facing four first-degree murder charges.

On Tuesday, Miller referenced the murders in Winnipeg as evidence of the ongoing pattern of violence. He acknowledged that actions taken since the inquiry's final report have not been enough to address the crisis.

He also announced that Indigenous organization Innovation 7 is being tasked with developing recommendations for an oversight mechanism to help the government track its progress in ending violence against Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ people.

The creation of both an ombudsperson role and an oversight mechanism were among the inquiry's calls to justice.

Miller's department says in a news release that the appointments reaffirm the government's commitment to meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2023.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

Stay Connected