RCMP to meet families of women missing, murdered in Highway of Tears case
RCMP have called a meeting for families of murdered and missing women in the Highway of Tears cases for Thursday in Vancouver.
“They didn’t speak on really what it’s all about,” Matilda Wilson, the mother of murdered Ramona Wilson, said on Monday.
“I’m not sure what the next topic will be. In the last one.. it’s always something like they’re `still working on it’ and `it’s very slow’ and things like that.
“We’re trying to keep this alive. We still don’t know if this person is going to do this again, is going to strike again.”
Late last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) called on Canada to set up an inquiry that will not only look into reasons for the failure of law enforcement to investigate the cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women over the past two decades.
A recent report on Canada’s compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women called on the government, “to take the necessary steps to remedy deficiencies in the system.”
In British Columbia, 18 women have gone missing along Hwy 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, dubbed the Highway of tears.
In September, family and friends of the victims met with the Walk 4 Justice group to travel from Prince Rupert to Parliament Hill to raise awareness about the perceived inaction of the police and various levels of government.
“A unity has been formed and people can start working together to voice their opinions and get something done about it,” Brenda Wilson, sister of the late Ramona Wilson whose remains were found in 1995 and Smithers Highway of Tears campaigner, told The Interior News.
At the federal all candidates debate in October, MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, Nathan Cullen said the Prime Minister had a lot to answer for because he didn’t come out and accept the petition.
“I was really impressed with the Prime Ministers’ apology to First Nations residential school survivors,” Cullen said. “But his actions when these people walked all the way to Ottawa — he was given three months notice and he was in Ottawa that day — it makes me doubt the sincerity of that apology.”
Three Smithers area women are among the many missing and dead women along the Hwy of tears: Cecilia Anne Nikal who went missing in 1989, last seen in Smithers, Delphine Nikal who diappeared from Smithers in 1990 while hitchiking to Telkwa and Ramona Wilson whose remains were found near the Smithers airport in 1995. None of these cases have been solved and in some people’s view not even adequately investigated.
Carrie Humchitt, president of the Aboriginal Women’s Action Network said the high level of stranger violence experienced by Aboriginal women is not the committee’s only concern.
“The committee is also concerned about the poverty of Aboriginal women, their poor health, inadequate housing, lack of access to clean water, low school completion rates, and the high levels of child apprehension from Aboriginal parents,” Humchitt stated.
“The committee urges Canada to develop a comprehensive and integrated plan for addressing the conditions of Aboriginal women as a matter of urgency.”
The Interior News Brenda Wilson walks along Hwy 16 on Sunday to make sure the murder of her sister Ramona is never forgotten. RCMP have called a meeting in Vancouver on Thursday for families of murdered and missing women in the Highway of Tears cases.
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