The Quebec government announced Wednesday there will be a public inquiry into how First Nations people are treated in the province.
The commission will look at the way different indigenous communities have been treated over the last 15 years.
“No matter the colour of our skin, what we believe or who we love, no one deserves to be humiliated,” said Premier Philippe Couillard.
“We are proposing a forum that will allow us to deal with these issues and to analyze independently, without prejudice or complacency, the actions that must be taken.”
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Retired Superior Court justice Jacques Viens will preside over the commission.
The inquiry is one of the recommendations from the independent observer who followed the investigation of Sûreté du Québec officers accused of sexually assaulting indigenous women in Val-d’Or.
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In November, indigenous women in communities across Quebec said they are sick of the racism they encounter daily.
READ MORE: First Nations women call for Quebec inquiry into systemic racism
First Nations women said they felt betrayed upon hearing that no charges were laid, adding they fear for their personal safety, especially when they’re alone.
“I don’t want to be picked up by the police and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Trust is not there anymore,” said Donna Larivière with Femmes autochtones du Québec.
“I’m afraid for my nieces and my sisters when they go out. This needs to stop.”
The Quebec government had previously announced a provincial inquiry would not be necessary because the federal government was already looking into missing and murdered aboriginal women.
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Some argue the national inquiry isn’t large enough to give a clear picture of all the realities specific to Quebec.
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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