By paNOW Staff

Family Liaison Unit wins praise from advocates

Nov 17, 2017 | 11:00 AM

Both the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Prince Albert Council of Women said Saskatchewan’s new Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU) will be a valuable resource for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The liaison unit, which opened its doors last week, is a provincial initiative meant to provide services to Indigenous families after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Noel Busse said FILU staff will work with both families and communities to help navigate the criminal justice system and other bureaucracies, and connect them with emotional and cultural supports to help cope with trauma and loss. Although the FILU is not directly affiliated with the ongoing national inquiry, Busse said it will supplement the process by providing assistance to families even if they choose not to tell their stories as part of the inquiry.

FSIN Vice Chief Heather Bear told paNOW Indigenous families often struggle to open effective lines of communication with the courts and police. Bear said she expects the new unit will make families more confident when dealing with governments and law-enforcement agencies.

“I think this will give our families, and of course victims, some confidence that someone will hear them and take action,” Bear said. “FSIN has been following this closely.”

Bear said the liaison unit can offer help at any stage, from helping a family organize a search and set up a command centre, to providing emotional support as a perpetrator moves through the criminal justice system. The unit will also be a great resource for Indigenous families in urban centres, where cultural supports are not as common, she said.

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“People never plan for a family member to go missing,” she said. “There’s a lot of our people that are living in the cities and may not have the contacts that one might back home in the community.”

Bear’s praise was echoed by Prince Albert Council of Women executive and past-president Chrissy Halliday, who said the FILU shows the province is taking the issue seriously.

“I don’t think there is a person in our province that isn’t in some way connected to this particular need,” Halliday said. “Any positions that they are going to add to government in order to help the families is very much a step forward.”

Halliday said her advocacy work has put her in contact with many families of missing and murdered women. Halliday said she understands the difficulties they often face when trying to communicate with police, courts and other government agencies.

“I’ve met a lot of our local families who have been put in that position,” she said. “It can get very frustrating, especially if you’re in a period of crisis in your life.”

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews