ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA CHIEFS TABLING FAMILIES FIRST MADE-IN-MANITOBA APPROACH TO THE

NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON MISSING AND MURDERED WOMEN AND GIRLS

February 27, 2015. Treaty One Territory. After years of advocacy by families of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls, and by leadership, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) began the
Families First initiative last fall 2014, in partnership with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak (MKO),
Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO), and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) in Manitoba.
Families First means we are talking with the families - the people most impacted by Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, said AMC Grand Chief Derek Nepinak. We are asking the
families first, what they say needs to change, and what approaches we need to move toward positive
action to end this tragedy. Then we are involving Elders/Knowledge Keepers, Youth, Indigenous
organization supporters of families, ad will be reaching out to police, justice, educators, voluntary and
private sector and interested citizens.
This is a Made-in-Manitoba model stated Chief Francine Meeches, Chair of the AMC Womens Council.
We intend to promote real action by our initiative.
To date, the Families First initiative has found that families want their loved ones respected, and their
families supported from the beginning of this ordeal and ongoing.
Families First is documenting immediate changes recommended by families, supporters, and many
reports and inquiries, immediate changes that can be implemented by police, courts, Justice, social
services, private and voluntary sector. Systemic changes have also been identified which may well
require an Inquiry. What kind of Inquiry and how it could be established, mandate, scope, etc. is being
discussed through this Families First process.
Copies of AMC Statement to the National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and
Girls are available through the AMC website: http://www.manitobachiefs.com.
For more information please contact,

Kayla Frank
Junior Policy Analyst
204-296-3601
kfrank@manitobachiefs.com

Karen Harper
AMC Womens Committee Liaison
204-987-4104
kharper@manitobachiefs.com