SEVERAL PEOPLE spoke about the effects on communities of aboriginal women going missing and being murdered along the Highway of Tears at the Missing Women's Commission of Inquiry at Kitsumkalum Sept. 13.
Commissioner Wally Oppal heard from a variety of people including Kitsumkalum chief Don Roberts, Kincolith chief councillor Nelson Clayton and Moricetown band member and lawyer Karen Whonnock.
Participants called for a system for missing women similar to an Amber Alert, where family members could report the disappearance of a loved one immediately and not be told to wait 24 hours or longer.
Oppal said that this inquiry began after all the Robert Pickton appeals had been exhausted and the government wanted the inquiry to find out why prosecutors stayed their attempted murder charges against Pickton in January 1998.
Also the inquiry is to look at the police investigations of missing women and multiple homicides in various police jurisdictions.
“We thought it was appropriate to go to Prince George and Terrace wanted us to come up and examine the Highway of Tears,” Oppal said, adding he wants to hear what happened here and what advice community members have for government.
“Any time a woman goes missing or a murder takes place, it strikes at the heart and soul of the community.”
Oppal noted that the number of missing women had been said to be between 18 and 40 and the numbers weren't clear but that they were “horrific” numbers.
Moricetown band member Karen Whonnock said she hates being stopped by police on the assumption that she is drinking while intoxicated or has illegal fish in her vehicle or isn't wearing a seatbelt, just because she's aboriginal, and saddened that police don't stop vehicles to look for a woman who's gone missing.
“It's really upsetting when illegal fish is a priority rather than missing women,” she said.
The Highway of Tears is a national tragedy and sends a message to the world that aboriginal women's lives are worth less than others and that it's okay to murder aboriginal women, she said.
If there's a missing woman in Victoria or west Vancouver, there would be extra media attention and money to address the problem but that doesn't happen when an aboriginal woman goes missing, she added.
Whonnock urged the commission to support a separate Highway of Tears commission led by aboriginal leaders.
She asked about whether Greyhound does offer a free rides program, said that a shuttle service should be set up even though it would be expensive because it's needed, that safe homes be made available from Prince George to Prince Rupert and for emergency phones to be placed along the highway.
Afterward, Oppal said the response to the workshop in Prince Rupert and the morning one in Terrace saw good turnouts, but he did notice one thing that concerned him.
“I'm a little concerned there's no mayors or city councillors showing up. It is a community problem and is a serious one,” said Oppal, adding that in Prince Rupert neither mayor Jack Mussallem nor city council members came to the forum.
Terrace mayor Dave Pernarowski sn't seen at the morning forum and neither were any city councillors.
“Three MLAs showed up and that's good,” he added, saying North Coast NDP MLA Gary Coons was present in Prince Rupert as was Alberni-Pacific Rim NDP MLA and critic for aboriginal relations Scott Fraser, and Skeena NDP MLA Robin Austin came to the Kitsumkalum forum.
Oppal took the inquiry to Gitanyow and then back to Terrace to the Nisga'a Lisims government building.
The inquiry continues in Moricetown and Smithers today before moving onto Hazelton Sept 15.