There's a lot of work to be done, and many stories that need to be told. That's how Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches sums up the next while, now that the federal government has officially launched the inquiry into the issue of murdered and missing indigenous women. The committee performing the inquiry was announced earlier today, and the actual inquiry will take place from September 2016 to the end of 2018. Meeches says there's a real sense of relief among many who's lives have been touched by this issue.

"I think people are looking for answers. What the root causes are, and why this is happening, and how we can stop it from happening. Every other day we're looking at the news media and social media and people are going missing pretty much on a daily basis almost. That should be a big concern to Canadians."

The inquiry into the high number of missing and murdered indigenous women has been sought for several years, and violence against women was also included in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report. Meeches says he expects policing for First Nations, and government policies and legislation to be included in the discussion, but says real improvements can only be made with a level of social change.

"There's much work to be done. I think we as indigenous people need to find where we fit in in society. We hope they'll look at this, and how First Nations and indigenous populations have been treated, they're basically at the bottom of the social ladder."

The inquiry, which will continue over two years, will include a review of the systemic reasons behind the violence, as well as the institutional policies and practices implemented in response to violence against indigenous women. The final report will also include a list of recommendations, ranging from the commemoration of Canada's missing and murdered women to a number of suggested actions that could help dramatically decrease violence. Meeches says there will be no shortage of work for those involved in the panel, but hopes this inquiry will lead to significant changes for Canada's indigenous population.