Missing and Murdered Women: Anita Neville

Saturday, February 13

Missing women's initiative in limbo as memorial marches approach.

By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free PressFebruary 13, 2010 12:27 AM

In October 2008, people marched in Saskatoon for the national vigil "Sisters in Spirit". This year's march may also become a memorial for a government-funded research project that put a spotlight on the hundreds of aboriginal women who have gone missing or were murdered in this country.

Photograph by: Greg Pender, Star Phoenix

OTTAWA — Missing and murdered women in Canada will be remembered Sunday in memorial that marches across the country.

But the occasion may also become a memorial for a government-funded research project that put a spotlight on the hundreds of aboriginal women who have gone missing or were murdered in this country.

Federal funding for the Sisters in Spirit initiative of the Native Women's Association of Canada runs out March 31, and the federal government has not given the group any indication whether its mandate will be extended.

"We haven't heard anything," said Sisters in Spirit director Kate Rexe. "The government is silent on the issue."

With a grant of $5 million, Sisters in Spirit has spent the past five years compiling a database of more than 520 women who have disappeared or been killed over the past four decades.

The group has developed policies and programs it says are meant to help stop the cycle of violence.

Rexe said the agency is prepared to begin implementing policies and community programs aimed at three specific areas — the justice system, child welfare and poverty. But that's been on hold for months because Ottawa won't say if it plans to keep funding the work.

"It's unbelievably frustrating," Rexe said. "We have all the knowledge, the momentum. We can actually start to implement change, but we don't even know if we can keep planning."

A year ago, Status of Women Minister Helena Guergis said she was working on extending the project.

"I want you to know, I've already engaged in the process of what Sisters in Spirit Two would look like," Guergis said at the Status of Women committee meeting Feb. 12, 2009.

But a spokeswoman for Guergis would not say Friday whether funding for Sisters in Spirit is forthcoming, and said in an e-mail Ottawa has asked NWAC to share its database with police.

"Research conducted by SIS thus far has been aimed at informing policy recommendations and identifying future directions. There are currently four provincial investigations ongoing which the RCMP is participating in. At Minister Guergis' direction, NWAC will be consulting with the RCMP to cross reference their list with ongoing investigations," wrote Emily Goucher.

She also said the Status of Women office spent $21 million since 2007 on 117 projects that address violence against women.

Rexe said she's angry at a federal government that "has been spending like drunken sailors with their economic action plan and now with a huge deficit are talking about cuts."

"We have been working for over a year to get a commitment to the life chances and access to justice for aboriginal women, girls and the families of victims, and we are still waiting."

She said the Sisters office couldn't even help organize this year's Women's Memorial March in Ottawa because staff are too busy wrapping up loose ends and searching for other funding. Eight cities across Canada are to hold marches on Valentine's Day.

Sisters in Spirit has painted a rather bleak picture of aboriginal women's lives. Rexe said Canadian crime statistics show that aboriginal identity is the strongest predictor of violent crime.

Aboriginal women are more than three times as likely as other Canadian women to experience violence and those between age 25 and 44 are five times more likely to die a violent death than non-aboriginal women in that age group.

Manitoba MP and Liberal status of women critic Anita Neville said she doesn't understand why Ottawa won't commit to extending Sisters.

"We have called for a renewal for funding to Sisters in Spirit and for a national investigation (into the missing and murdered women)," Neville said. "But money is tight, and I don't know what (the government) will do."

The Vancouver Sun

http://bit.ly/bZGD9V

Wednesday, February 10

Federal Liberals call for Highway of Tears national investigation

Published: February 09, 2010 11:00 PM

The federal Liberal Party is calling for a national inquiry into the missing and murdered women along Highway 16, also referred to as the Highway of Tears.

Anita Neville, the Liberals’ critic on the status of women, was in Prince George Friday to meet with groups and families of victims regarding the murders and disappearances.

“My leader, Michael Ignatieff, has made it clear when we’re elected we would make a call for a national investigation,” Neville said. “The Native Women’s Association of Canada has identified 520 aboriginal women who are missing or murdered (since 1970). If a planeload of 520 people went down, you could be sure there would be a national investigation.”

Currently the provincial E-PANA police task force is investigating 18 women and girls missing or murdered along B.C.’s highways. Of those 10 cases are from the stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

“Certainly the provincial governments are responding, and that is good, but everyone is responding in a different way,” Neville said. “It’s a national tragedy. It’s a national stain. (But) there is not a comprehensive, coordinated strategy... led by the federal government.”

There are multiple models a national investigation could be based on, such as the investigation in the Air India bombing, which could be drawn on, she added.

“I don’t know exactly what that looks like,” Neville said. “(But) I think what would be required is to meet with a whole range of stakeholders.”

Neville said she has raised the issue several times with the Department of Justice, but receive little response.

Project E-PANA spokeswoman Corp. Annie Linteau said it’s difficult to say if a national investigation or inquiry would be beneficial to the investigation.

“The RCMP is always supportive of any public forum. (But) an inquiry would not be helpful at this time,” Linteau said. “We’re conducting an active investigation... and we are not in a position to disclose our evidence in a public forum.”

Currently 69 officers and civilian staff are dedicated to Project E-PANA.

Additional resources are dedicated to cases of missing and murdered women through Project Evenhanded in Vancouver, Project KARE in and around Edmonton and Manitoba’s missing person/cold case project, Linteau said.

Linteau said without knowing the details of what a national investigation would look like, it’s hard to determine if it would benefit the investigations.

Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris said he is confident in the current police investigations into the cases.

“We have a coordinated investigation between four provinces now, all along Highway 16 from Manitoba to Prince Rupert,” Harris said. “A national investigation has a good sound to it, but what would it achieve?”

Harris said he believes the call for a national investigation is about politics, not solving cases.

“This is a tragedy. This is not something to politicize,” he said. “If she’s using this issue for political reasons, I’m saddened by that.”