Inquiry says killing or disappearance of indigenous women is 'Canadian genocide'
  • WORLD

  • 15:08 03 June 2019

Inquiry says killing or disappearance of indigenous women is 'Canadian genocide'

The disappearance or murder of thousands of indigenous women and girls in Canada is as a "national tragedy of epic proportion" according to the head of a national inquiry into the issue, ONA reports citing Euronews.

Commissioner Marion Buller has spent almost three years leading the inquiry into higher homicide rates among female indigenous Canadians and the final report is due to be published on Monday. It doesn't pull punches. The report will call the episode issue a "Canadian genocide" according to CBC, Canada's national broadcaster, which obtained an early copy.

It is a powerful label because many previous Canadian governments have used the softer term, "cultural genocide." Indigenous advocates have been lobbying for years to drop the "cultural" qualifier.

"What else would you call it? It is the worst possible term that describes the worst possible crime, done in the state's name, and there's no other way to describe it.", said Wawmeesh Hamilton, a reporter on indigenous issues.

The highest estimates are that nearly 4,000 indigenous Canadian women and girls have gone missing or been murdered in recent decades. Indigenous women and girls make up about 4 percent of Canada’s female population but 16 percent of the females killed.

Ilkin Jalilov

Tags: Canada indigenous women all news

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