Media Advisory: Coalition Applauds National Inquiry Announcement That Indigenous Boys and Men Will be Included

Media Advisory – For Immediate Release

Coalition Applauds National Inquiry Announcement That Indigenous Boys and Men Will be Included

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — (January 30, 2016) The Coalition to Expand the Inquiry is applauding the recent announcement by the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls that boys and men will be welcomed to share their stories as part of this process.

On January 11, 2016, the Aboriginal People’s Television Network broke the news with a statement from the National Inquiry:

“There is no doubt that families of missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys are a potentially important source of information as the National Inquiry proceeds with its hearings and other information gathering processes. Furthermore, it has already been recognized that, particularly in domestic violence situations, the often male aggressor has often been the victim himself of sexual or other childhood violence thus perpetuating the cycle of violence so well documented. The National Inquiry is examining ways in which the testimonies and stories of men and boys might be collected in safe, respectful, and efficient ways, insofar as this potential information may be relevant to its overall mandate of examining systemic causes of violence, including sexual violence, against Indigenous women and girls.”

“To those families who contact me having lost a loved one, their grief and heartbreak is just as deep whether the loss is of a daughter or a son,” said Ernie Crey, Expand the Inquiry Coalition Chair and BC Indigenous leader. “Those families that have experienced the tragedy of a murdered or missing young man are heartened to know that there is now room at the table for their stories.”

“We are so pleased by this decision to provide a forum of inclusion and equality,” said Justin Trottier, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Men and Families, a Coalition member organization and an educational charity working to integrate men’s issues within gender equality. “The statement by the National Inquiry acknowledges the case we’ve been making that this initiative will only be effective at discovering the root cause of violence if we listen to all families who have experienced tragedy and if we incorporate all available data.”

Statistics Canada data on murdered Indigenous peoples over a 29 year period (1982-2011) show that over 70% of murdered Indigenous Canadians were men and boys.

With this green light, the Coalition to Expand the Inquiry will now work hard to ensure that no families are left out of this process and is proud to be playing a role in making the National Inquiry as successful as possible.

CONTACT

Chief Ernie Crey
Expand the Inquiry Coalition Chairperson
604-891-7981
erniecrey@gmail.com

Justin Trottier
Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Men and Families (coalition member organization)
416-402-8856
jtrottier@menandfamilies.org

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