Hundreds of people rallied at Parliament Hill on Wednesday to urge the Canadian government to call an inquiry into missing and murdered Native women.

The Native Women's Association of Canada has documented nearly 600 cases of Native women who have gone missing or who have been murdered. Another just occurred last month -- Loretta Saunders, a 26-year-old Inuk woman who was studying the issue was killed in New Brunswick.

"In memory of Loretta's heart and her kindness and her courage, please stand behind me and demand answers from our government," Holly Jarrett, Saunders' cousin, said at the vigil, CBC News reported. "We must not let this happen again without our government putting some serious effort — not simple placating gestures — into a public inquiry."

In Saunders' case, authorities have charged two people with first-degree murder. But most of the cases involving Native women have gone unsolved.

Get the Story:
Loretta Saunders vigil draws hundreds to Parliament Hill (CBC 3/5)
Pressure mounts for inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women (CBC 3/5)
Vigil held on Parliament Hill for murdered Halifax woman Loretta Saunders (CP 3/5)
Calls for inquiry at vigil for murdered Halifax woman Loretta Saunders (The Global News 3/5)

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Report examines access to justice for Native women in Canada (3/5)