Alberta First Nations 'cautiously optimistic' about launch of missing, murdered Indigenous women inquiry

Members of Alberta's aboriginal community are hopingthat police conduct will beinvestigated andreviewed as part of thenational inquiryintomissing andmurdered Indigenous women and girls.

Details of the long-awaited inquiryareexpected to be released on Wednesday andaccording to a draft of the terms of referenceobtained by CBC News, it wouldlargely focus on violence prevention.

The director of an emergency shelter for indigenous women in Calgary is "cautiously optimistic" about the announcement.

"I've heard time and time again from families not satisfied with the response from the police and [that] it's taken too long for them to respond," said Josie Nepinak with theAwoTaanHealing Lodge.

"They're not takingseriously, the family's concerns and basically there's this dismissive attitude."

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Families and advocates expressed disappointment that the draftdocument makes no specific mention of police investigations, an issue that came up at all 17 pre-inquiry consultations held across Canadaearlier this year.

'In my heart I know there's a lot of missing pieces'

When MavisCrowchild'sdaughter, Rhonda Running Bird, disappearedon a hunting trip south of Rocky Mountain House21 years ago RCMPconcludedthere wasn't enough evidence to determine whether foul play was involved.

Crowchild recallsa comment from one of the officers at the time.

"I asked him, 'So, what do you think happened toRhonda?' And he said, 'Oh, she must be drunk on the streets in Edmonton, that's why we can't find her'. And it angered me when he said that."

Despite extensive searches, Running Bird'sbody was never found. Running Bird's brother, Keith, said she had beenbeaten regularly by her husband.

"TheRCMPshouldadid a lot more. You know, they just thought: oh it's another native case," he said.