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But Bennett insisted the inquiry is necessary and she wants it to accomplish two things.

“One is the plan for justice and support for the families, but also the prevention such that we can stop this.”

She said the country needs a “comprehensive review” of the causes for why a “disproportionate” number of indigenous women are missing and murdered.

A 2014 report by the RCMP revealed that there were 1,181 murdered and missing women indigenous women between 1980 and 2012.

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Then-Conservative aboriginal affairs minister Bernard Valcourt sparked controversy when he told the Citizen last year that some aboriginal men have a “lack of respect” toward women on reserves and that a national inquiry wouldn’t accomplish anything.

He urged First Nations chiefs to “take ownership of this issue” and address it themselves, with federal help, in their own communities.

That prompted criticism from Assembly of First Nations national chief Perry Bellegarde, who said Valcourt was “ill-informed.”

But Valcourt refused to back down and told aboriginal leaders in a closed-door meeting that 70 per cent of murdered aboriginal women were killed by aboriginal men.

The Conservatives were emboldened when the RCMP released a report this summer that the Tories said backed their claims.

I think it was appalling in terms of blame. I think it doesn’t deal with the effects of colonization. It doesn’t deal with the effects of child abuse

The Mounties said there is “an unmistakable connection between homicide and family violence.”

On Thursday, Bennett spoke out strongly about how the previous government said aboriginal communities shared responsibility for the violence.