Indigenous women in Vancouver say the release of a report calling the disappearance and murder of Indigenous women and girls a "genocide" marks the end of a painful process but justice will require action.
Sharon McIvor says she has been part of the fight for the rights of Indigenous women for more than 40 years and she didn't believe she would live to see the day that the report would be released.
But she says it will only have teeth if the federal government enacts laws to protect Indigenous women, including amending the Indian Act to give women equal status to men.
Others spoke at a news conference of the difficulty in participating in the inquiry process.
Lorelei Williams says despite working to deal with trauma she has experienced, she almost couldn't get out of bed on the day she was to testify.
Her aunt Belinda Williams has been missing for more than 40 years and the DNA of her cousin Tanya Holyk was found on serial killer Robert Pickton's farm.
The report from the inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls contains more than 200 recommendations.
