Rankin Inlet MMIWG inquiry community hearings postponed, no new date set

Only a few weeks before they were to be held, community hearings in Rankin Inlet for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have been postponed, with no new date set.

• MMIWG inquiry calls for more Inuit testimony during Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, logistics visit

• After slow start to its visit, MMIWG hears from families in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut

"After reaching out to family members to discuss the best way to move forward it was determined that the space originally planned to hold the hearings will not be able to accommodate the privacy and safety of those families wanting to share their truths," stated Marion Buller, inquiry chief commissioner, in a statement released Thursday.  

Hearings were scheduled to be held in Rankin Inlet on Dec. 11. This is the latest in a number of hearings the troubled Inquiry has planned and then postponed.

• Yellowknife hearings for MMIWG national inquiry postponed

There is no word as to when and where the hearings will be held, although Buller states organizers have "confirmed an improved location and our team is working diligently to ensure the Rankin Inlet community hearing meets the needs of the community."

The statement announcing the postponement says the hearings were rescheduled after "consultation with the families registered to participate in the truth gathering process."

In an email to CBC, an inquiry spokesperson said it is too early to determine new hearing dates.

"Rankin Inlet and Yellowknife dates, along with other locations, are expected to be released in January 2018," the spokesperson said.