Alberta Indigenous Relations minister Rick Wilson has received the final report from the Alberta Joint Working Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

Wilson says the government is now reviewing the report to study their recommendations and determine the next steps. He called the report an important milestone in building a safer province for Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Indigenous women in Canada are three times more likely to be victims of violence than non-Indigenous women. In Alberta, 206 Indigenous women were murdered between 1980 and 2012 – accounting for 28 per cent of all female homicide victims in that period.

In 2017, there were 4.22 homicides of Aboriginal females per 100,000 people, an increase of 32 per cent from the previous year. This rate is six times higher than that of non-Aboriginal females.

“My heart goes out to all those who struggle with the unspeakable loss of their loved ones," says Wilson in a written statement. "Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people deserve a future of safety, respect, and possibility. Alberta’s government is committed to making this a reality."

He says work is underway to fulfilling 24 of the 29 actions that fall under provincial responsibility of calls of action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

From March 5, 2020 to December 23, 2021, the Alberta Joint Working Group on Missing and Murdered Women and Girls engaged with Indigenous community members, agencies, and organizations and developed advice and recommendations to inform government actions.

It was formed of three Indigenous community members and three MLAs to advise on options to address issues of violence and the calls for justice, make recommendations on how to work with Indigenous communities, other governments, and the private sector to leverage actions to combat violence against Indigenous women and girls and to provide input and make recommendations on the government’s action plan.