The Native Women’s Association of Canada has documented over 582 occurrences of missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls. We know that there are more cases that have not been documented. We also know that this epidemic of violence is continuing to claim more lives and irreparably harm more families every month.

Addressing this issue requires that the factors causing it are correctly identified, and that those individuals, pro- cesses and policies responsible for maintaining the status quo – and the subsequent harms to Aboriginal women and girls are remedied.

Recommendations and ACTION for change are needed to increase the safety of Aboriginal women and girls in all walks of life across Canada. I support holding a National Inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada. I also ask that you involve those most affected by this tragic issue – Aboriginal women – in the design, decision- making, process and implementation of this inquiry. Such an inquiry would be a crucial step in implementing a comprehensive and coordinated national action plan to address the scale and severity of violence faced by Aboriginal women and girls.