As MMIWG inquiry moves to Quebec, families call for hearings in Montreal

SomeQuebec families say they are being left in the darkas the public hearings of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls openon Mondayin the QuebecInnu community of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam.

The location near Sept-les, on the province's North Shore, is a seven-hour flight, or a 1,300-kilometre drive, from the home of Johnny Wylde and Emily Ruperthouse Wylde.

The couple, who lives in Pikogan, near Val-d'Or, have beenbeen looking for their daughter Sindyfor more than three years.

She was last seen leaving a hospital in Val-d'Orin April 2014, after being admitted withserious injuries.

Wyldesaid the trip is just too long, and he'd prefer waiting until a date in Montreal is confirmed so he can attend with the support of his family.

"I want to share my story. I want everybody to know what's going on for real. But I'll be there if it's Montreal," saidWylde, from his office inPikogan, about 75 kilometres north ofVal-d'Or.

"There are going to more women. We can't forget that," Wylde said.

Wyldesaid a staff member with the inquiry told him hearings wouldbe held in Montreal eventually.

• ForVal-d'OrIndigenous community, hope and frustration asMMIWinquiry begins

Getting any concrete information or possibledates has been difficult, leaving families confused and frustrated, according toVerna Polson, the grand chief of the Algonquin-Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council.

Polsonsaid she was also told by acommissioner there would indeed be a stop in Montreal, although the exact dates have yet to be confirmed. She said not knowing what's going to happen next is adding to their frustration.

"Families are going through a lot,"Polsonsaid,as reports of thetestimonies are being shared across the country.

"A two-year mandate for these commissioners isn't long enough. It's not long enough for the families who are directly affected.''

When contacted by CBC, the inquiry could not confirm if ahearing was going to take place in Montreal, other than providingthe dates that have already been scheduled for 2017.

"Once a schedule is developed for the new year we will post to our website," the inquirytoldCBCin an email.

On Thursday, it wasannounced the hearings in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, scheduled for Dec. 11, were being postponed due to space and privacy concerns.

'We need to know what's going wrong'

Improving access to information and to support systems will be crucial as the commissionmoves forward, said VivianeMichel, the president ofNative Women Quebec (NWQ).

"You have to plan for a safety net for the families before, during and after the hearings. You can't just shake them up and move on," said Michel."If there is a second phase it should happen in Montreal."

The organization, based inKahnawake, Que., had initially asked the commission to hold the hearings in the city, which is nearby.

"It would have been the best place, because it's at the centre of all the Nations around Quebec," Michelsaid, who will nonetheless be in Mani-Utenam(also known asMaliotenam) for the entire lengthof the hearings.

"ForNWQ, it's very important to hear these people, these women, because we need to know what's going wrong,'' Michelsaid.

In addition to hearing cases of missing and murdered women and girls, Michelhopes the inquiry will pay close attention to the ongoing violence Indigenous women face in their communities.

Quebec at a crossroads

The national inquiry is happening at the same time as Quebec's two-year investigation of how Indigenous people are treated by police andsocial services.

The province was pressured into actionafterIndigenous women in Val-d'Or alleged abusivebehaviour at the hands ofpolice officers.

Thirty-eight files ended up in the hands of Montreal police,who conducted the investigation. The Crown ruledthere was insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing in most cases, except for two retired police officers inSchefferville.

Both Alain Juneau, of the Quebec provincial police, and Jean-Luc Vollant, of Schefferville's Indigenous police force, were charged for sex-related crimes.

Juneau,accusedin connection with events alleged to haveoccurredin the1990s,committed suicide days before his preliminary hearing at the beginning of this year.

• Val-d'OrforcesQuebecbroach subject of systemic racism

Vollant'spreliminary hearing was been postponed twice alreadyand is set to take place on Jan. 12.

Improving living conditions inhost community

JonathanPinette-Grgoire, executive director of the Native Friendship Centre inSept-les,hopes the inquiry's recommendations will be taken seriously by governments andlead to actual change for people living in the community.

UashatmakMani-Utenamwas devastated by a string of five suicidesover a nine-month period in 2015.

• 'Apartheid system' of reserves to blame forInnusuicides: Quebec coroner

The province of Quebec tasked coronerBernardLefranoisto investigate the deaths. His reporttook acritical look at the way Indigenous affairs are handled in Quebec and Canada.

Pinette-Grgoiresaid by putting these issues on paperhe hopes to see solutions emerge.

"Life forIndigenous women here is hard. People know the quality of life isn't the same asthe rest of the population," he said.

"We hope the governments will follow these recommendations and that organizations will have the resources they need."

Meanwhile Johnny Wylde said he continuesto search for clues on his daughter Sindy's disappearance with support from his community.

"I don't wait for anyoneanyway. They're not going to find my daughter. I'mgoing to find her, I'm still looking for her.''

Follow our CBCreportersElias Abboud@eliabb and Julia Page @JuliaBPage, who will be at the inquiry in UashatmakMani-Utenam all week