The head of the RCMP says 70 per cent of Aboriginal females killed in Canada — in cases solved by police — died at the hands of other Aboriginal people.
Commissioner Bob Paulson released the statistic in a letter obtained by The Canadian Press.
The letter is addressed to Chief Bernice Martial of Cold Lake First Nation in Alberta, who is also grand chief of Treaty No. 6.
She had asked Paulson to verify the number, questioning whether the figure, earlier released by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, was accurate.
Paulson writes that most female homicides, across all races, are linked to family and spousal violence.
He says police focus their crime analysis and prevention efforts on the relationships between victims and offenders, not their race.
National Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations is calling on all police and government departments to release what data they have that can help Aboriginal women.
Bellegarde says plans to combat violence against Aboriginal women must be made now that the RCMP is out with the latest statistic.
He says there is still a need for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
Bellegarde adds everyone — Aboriginal men and governments included — must take responsibility to combat violence.
(The Canadian Press)