2nd national roundtable on MMIW begins today in Winnipeg

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger is hosting the second national roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, starting today.

The roundtable, which goes until Friday, begins Wednesday with a day-long, closed-door session for families only. Media is not allowed.

That will be followed by two days of meetings with provincial and territorial premiers, federal ministers, national indigenous leaders, and MMIW families.

Discussions on the upcoming national inquiry, as well as actions governments can take now to begin to address the issue, are expected to take place.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger has said the provinces each have a list of projects to be debated and prioritized. They include engaging indigenous men in anti-violence campaigns and improving access to emergency shelters.

• Missing women's inquiry should include aboriginal men, says Ernie Crey

In a 2014 report, the RCMP estimated 1,181 cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls in the country since 1980 — 164 are missing, 1,017 were homicides.

• INTERACTIVE: The unsolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women
• Politicians, First Nations agree to another roundtable before end of 2016

The first national roundtable on missing and murdered indigenous women was held in Ottawa in February 2015 and a lot has changed since then.

Calls for a national inquiry loomed large at the meetings in Ottawa, when the Conservatives still held federal power in Canada and steadfastly refused to call one. The Liberals have since taken over the seat of government and have promised to convene a national inquiry this year.

• Indigenous families call police investigations inadequate as MMIW pre-inquiry talks wrap

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett has just completed a series of cross-Canada pre-inquiry consultations, asking MMIW families what the inquiry should look like and who should be involved.