|
| Disappearances and Murders on the Highway of Tears |
|
Press Release - August 28, 2009 |
Coast Salish Traditional Territory/Vancouver, BC - The BC Assembly of
First Nations, First Nations Summit and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs
express their support to the Hoar family about the possible discovery
of their daughter Nicole.
“We also like to express our condolences and sympathies as well as our
continued support to all the family members of the women who have gone
missing or been murdered along Highway 16, the Highway of Tears, as
this search of this rural property reminds us all of their on-going
loss, pain and hope for closure,” said Grand Chief Edward John of the
First Nations Summit Task. Group.
The BCAFN, First Nations Summit and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs share
the concerns of the many First Nations, local organizations and RCMP
officers who have speculated that some of these cases may be connected
and all but Nicole Hoar are Aboriginal. The organizations continue to
fully support a coordinated approach to these investigations and of
pooling all available resources in a concerted effort to ensure all of
the families of the missing and murdered women find closure.
“We can ill-afford to continue to repeat the mistakes, gaps and
inconsistencies of the investigations into the missing and murdered
women on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and the Highway of Tears,”
said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian
Chiefs. “To prevent more deaths, we call for an inquiry into the
missing and murdered women to not only hear of the hard lessons learned
but to hold those agencies to account.”
“We are pleased that the Hoar family may have found closure. We
believe that though this investigation may have identified the person
responsible, there are others who are guilty for the other unsolved
deaths along the Highway of Tears. We are of the firm belief that the
RCMP will vigorously continue to conduct those investigations until
they bring closure to all the families,” concluded Chief Nelson Leon,
BCAFN spokesperson.
For more information:
Grand Chief Edward John, FNS, (604) 926-9903
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC, (604) 684-0231
Chief Nelson Leon, BCAFN Spokesperson, (604) 922-7733
|
|
