Carrier Sekani Tribal Council chief Terry Teegee called on the prime minister to launch a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women in the wake of a jury's finding this week that Cody Allan Legebokoff is guilty of four counts of first degree murder.
"While we are thankful for the efforts of all those involved who brought Mr. Legebokoff to justice, we know that nothing can ever bring these women back to their families again," Teegee said in a statement.
"Once again, we call on Prime Minister Harper to call for a public inquiry into the 1,200 missing and murdered women in Canada and to put forward the recommendations in the Human Rights Watch report, 'Those Who Take Us Away.'"
In February 2013, the New York-based advocacy group released an 89-page report that "documents both ongoing police failures to protect indigenous women and girls in the north from violence and violent behavior by police officers against women and girls."
The tribal council is committed to working with the federal government to prevent such tragedies from happening again, Teegee said, "but we will need to do it in a collective manner with all Canadians.
"This type of violence affects us all in a direct or indirect manner, and we need to stop pretending that it does not exist."
Harper has steadfastly opposed holding an inquiry.
"I think we should not view this as sociological phenomenon. We should view it as crime," Harper said on Aug. 21.
"It is crime, against innocent people, and it needs to be addressed as such."
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