Missing and murdered indigenous women inquiry applauded by P.E.I. Native Council

The national public inquiry into Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women is being applauded by the Native Council of P.E.I.

The federal government announced Tuesday it would follow through on an election promise and launch the first of two phases of a long-awaited inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

It's part of Justin Trudeau's five-point plan to reset the government's relationship with aboriginal people.

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• Truth and Reconciliation Commission will present final report into residential schools Dec. 15
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"The Native Council of P.E.I. welcomes the government's commitment to action, real change and building partnership with Indigenous peoples," said Lisa Cooper, president and chief of the Native Council of P.E.I.

The inquiry has been allotted $40 million, and is scheduled to take two years, beginning with community and family consultation.

Cooper said she wants to see the inquiry dig deep into the root causes of why so many aboriginal women have gone missing or been found murdered in Canada.

"We want to know why"

"Street workers, they're still somebody's family members," said Cooper.

Cooper said she believes some of the factors that have contributed to the phenomenon of missing and murdered aboriginal women include underlying issues such as poverty and discrimination.

"Women put themselves more at risk when they have no money and they're trying to raise a family, we have to look at those factors," said Cooper.

She said the Native Council has been and will continue to work with the RCMP to look at the cases, two of which she said have Island connections.

"There are families from Prince Edward Island whose sister or mother was murdered," she said.

"It all leads into this inquiry."

The inquiry comes after consistent pressure on the government to look into the nearly 1,200 RCMP documented cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls between 1980 and 2012.

Will knowing why make a difference?

"I think it would," said Cooper. "We know it needs to be done."

"Maybe there's something we don't know."

The inquiry, said Cooper,will also serve to raiseawareness about issues facing aboriginal people in Canada.

Cooper said she believes much of the solution lies in funding around poverty and employment, and not just for aboriginal people living on-reserve.

"We have rights as indigenous peoples living off-reserve," she said, adding those who live live off reserve have differentaccess to programs and funding.

Meanwhile,CBC'sinvestigation into unsolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women has learned of 22 more deaths and disappearances across Canada, including seven that occurredthis year.