Assembly of Manitoba Grand Chief Derek Nepinak
THUNDER BAY – Assembly of Manitoba Grand Chief Derek Nepinak added an important voice to the discussion on murdered and missing Aboriginal women in Thunder Bay last night. Speaking at Thunder Bay City Hall, the Manitoba Grand Chief explained how the RCMP Report recently released does not go back far enough. Offering some chilling insight, the Manitoba Grand Chief, who said, “Manitoba is the epi-centre for murdered and missing Aboriginal women,” the Grand Chief says the RCMP Report does not go back far enough.
The Grand Chief explained how during the 1950s and 1960s as many Anishinabek people moved from their communities into large urban centres, many more women went missing.
“In my lifetime, we have lost two of our women on the streets of Winnipeg,” stated the Grand Chief.
Grand Chief Derek Nepinak told the audience at City Hall that it was during the 1960s and 1970s when we lost untold numbers of women who are not reflected in the RCMP Report saying 1120 women remain unaccounted for.
“The tragedy would be too much for this society to bear. We can no longer support a culture of denial,” stated the Grand Chief. “We need to overcome this ignorance, and we need to overcome that together”.”
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, The Assembly of First Nations, The Union of Ontario Indians, Provincial Premiers and the City of Thunder Bay are all calling on the federal government to start a national inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women.
Thunder Bay Police Chief J.P. Lesveque has stepped up as well calling for a national inquiry.
The only group seemingly not interested is the federal Conservative Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper.
