By Cara McKenna

The federal government has heard from Homalco member and women’s advocate Fay Blaney as it designs its inquiry into Canada’s crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett met with Blaney and her coalition from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) on the problem on Jan. 12 before her broader consultation on Jan. 13. Blaney’s group was formed after its members were shut out of BC’s inquiry,which centred around the case of serial killer Robert Pickton.

Blaney and her coalition have been firm that Canada’s inquiry cannot be a repeat of BC’s and that people who have been touched by the issue – particularly Indigenous women – must be involved.

In the hours before she met with Bennett, Blaney and fellow advocates working in the DTES outlined their concerns about how the preliminary consultations into Canada’s inquiry are being handled. She said the meetings that include victims’ family members, loved ones and survivors are exclusionary of women’s groups that could touch on deeper-rooted issues.

Blaney also said Indigenous women are facing “triple jeopardy” and the pre-inquiry meetings haven’t delved into how colonialism continues to impact their safety.

“We’re experiencing sexism and misogyny. We’re experiencing racism and colonialism. And we’re experiencing poverty,” she said. “This inquiry must consult with feminist women’s groups that work with Indigenous women.”

Blaney also said that she is concerned about the timeline of the meetings being too short to gather substantial enough information to set up the inquiry. Bennett began the consultations in early January and is expected to conclude in Ottawa on Feb. 15.

Meanwhile, the annual Feb. 14 Women’s Memorial March – in honour of Indigenous women who have gone missing or been murdered on the DTES – is on track this year and is expected to draw extra attention in advance of the federal inquiry, which Bennett has said is expected to launch in the spring