2nd national roundtable on MMIW begins today in Winnipeg

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger ishosting the second national roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, starting today.

The roundtable, which goes until Friday, beginsWednesdaywith a day-long, closed-doorsession for families only.Media is not allowed.

That willbe followed by two days ofmeetings with provincial and territorial premiers, federal ministers, national indigenous leaders, and MMIW families.

Discussionsonthe upcoming national inquiry, as well as actions governments can take now to begin to address the issue, are expected to take place.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selingerhassaid the provinces each have alist of projects to be debatedand prioritized.They includeengaging indigenous men in anti-violence campaigns and improvingaccess to emergency shelters.

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In a 2014 report, theRCMPestimated 1,181 cases of missingand murdered aboriginal women and girls in the country since 1980 164 are missing, 1,017 were homicides.

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• Politicians, First Nations agree to another roundtable before end of 2016

The first national roundtable on missing and murdered indigenous women was held in Ottawa in February 2015 and a lot has changed since then.

Callsfor a national inquiry loomed large at the meetings in Ottawa, when theConservatives still held federal power in Canada andsteadfastly refused to call one. The Liberals have since taken over the seat of government andhave promised to convene a national inquirythis year.

• Indigenous families call police investigations inadequate as MMIW pre-inquiry talks wrap

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett has just completed a series ofcross-Canadapre-inquiry consultations, asking MMIW familieswhat the inquiry should look like and who should be involved.