National inquiry deems murders and disappearances of indigenous women in Canada a genocide

The final report from a national public inquiry probing the thousands of indigenous women who have been murdered or went missing across Canada in recent decades has deemed the situation a genocide. The report was leaked to Canada's national broadcaster, CBC, which published the details on Friday.

The report concluded that what happened in Canada consisted of a disproportionate level of violence facing indigenous women and girls in the country, spurred by "state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies." The report found that about 1,200 women have been murdered or gone missing since 1980, though some activists reportedly think the actual number is far higher.

"It took 40 years to get to this present moment and only because indigenous women have been on the ground making noise about this," Robyn Bourgeois, a campaigner on the issue, told CBC.

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The report is due to be formally released at a ceremony on Monday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised to make the inquiry and reconciliation with indigenous communities in Canada a top priority for his government.