Yesterday was the National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls and two spirits and the acting grand chief of the assembly of Manitoba chiefs issued a statement to commemorate the day.

Acting Grand Chief Cornell Mclean stated that all first nations in Manitoba continue to be affected by the loss of a loved one and we need to work to ensure that future generations can live with greater security.

He concluded by saying the it has been three years since the release of the final report of the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls national inquiry and that we must implement the 231 calls to justice in order to protect indigenous woman and girls and two spirits.

Betsy Kennedy the chair of the Assembly of Manitoba chiefs woman’s council and the chief of War Lake First Nation says they are continuing to call on the Government of Canada to meaningfully involve First Nations in Manitoba to implement the outstanding recommendations of the report of the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls national inquiry as they identify better ways to protect indigenous woman girls and two spirits.

Adding that all first nations’ women and future generations deserve to live life protected from fear, violence, or being taken.