Chief of MMIW inquiry says Inuit will not be sidelined as work begins

The chief commissioner of the inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls promises that Inuit in Canada's North will not be sidelined or offered pan-Aboriginal solutions, despite the lack of an Inuk commissioner.

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Judge Marion Buller said the commission will "take an individual, culturally appropriate approach" to its work, which began Thursday.

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Details about the structure of the inquiry, such as when it will come to the North, have yet to be worked out.

But Buller said the specific needs of the North are on the commission's radar as the planning starts.

"I look forward to hearing from the people of the North and I intend to listen very carefully," she said. "I know it's going to be hard for everyone."

'They're not listening'

The commission is planning on work closely with national and regional Inuit women's groups in preparation for their work in Nunavut and other Inuit regions, said Buller.

However, it's unclear if there is enough goodwill among the groups to work alongside the commission after their demand for an Inuk commissioner was not satisfied.  

"It's just very frustrating trying to move forward on an inquiry where, right from the get-go, they're not listening to the families that are impacted the most," said Elisapee Sheutiapik, the president of Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council.

The national Inuit women's group Pauktuutit has been vocal about its rejection of Qajaq Robinson as a representative for Inuit on the commission.

Robinson, an Ottawa-based lawyer, was raised in Nunavut and speaks fluent Inuktitut, but is not Inuk.

Inuit women's groups across the country have been supporting Pauktuutit's demand to add a sixth Inuk commissioner, but Carolyn Bennett, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, has not budged.

'Don't want to cause further harm'

Buller — who does not have the power to alter the list of commissioners — says the inquiry will "structure... hearings in a way that will be culturally appropriate for the area that we're in," such as being mindful of the needs for Inuktitut translation and services in Nunavut.

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The families who take part in the inquiry will also be given access to culturally specific supports before, during, and after they share their experiences.

"We're very alert to the fact that we're going to be opening wounds," said Buller. "We don't want to cause further harm."

When it comes to addressing the particular needs of communities in the North, many of which are plagued by domestic violence, Bullar offered suggestions, such as holding closed-door or private sessions in addition to open hearings, or using "statement takers" who can speak with people one-on-one.

"I'm very alert to the dynamics of small isolated communities and how difficult it can be to talk about some types of community issues in public," she said.

Putting teeth on the commission

There's been widespread criticism that since the commission cannot reopen investigations, it will be able to do very little except to act as a sounding board for the families of the missing and murdered.

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But Buller said the commission is as strong as the people who choose to share their stories.

"To a certain extent, we have to rely on people to come forward and tell us their stories, because without that information, we don't have local information to act on." 

Buller says once that information is gathered, the commission has "a number of ways of putting teeth" into its work including compelling law enforcement agencies to share information — subpoenaing police, if necessary.

"It's really going to be on a case by case basis," she said. "Depending on what has been turned over voluntarily, whether we're satisfied with the documents and the information."

Buller admitted that undertaking the inquiry will be "a Herculean effort."

"I have some wonderful commissioners to work with, I'm certainly not doing this on my own."