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The details from today's big MMIW inquiry announcement

A by-the-numbers breakdown of what you need to know.
By Katie Underwood
Carolyn Bennett Jody Wilson-Raybould Patty HajduPhoto, Justin Tang/The Canadian Press. Ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould, Patty Hajdu and Carolyn Bennett. Photo, Justin Tang/The Canadian Press.

At an emotional event in Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday, the Liberal government delivered on one of its key election promises: It revealed the details of its much-anticipated inquiry into Canada's missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu outlined the terms of the inquiry, which will examine the root causes of why indigenous women experience a disproportionately high level of violence. For her part, Bennett deemed the inquiry "an important step on our journey of reconciliation with the indigenous people of Canada."

Below, the key facts and figures that arose from this morning's announcement.

Almost 1,200 The number of indigenous women and girls who were murdered or went missing between 1980 and 2012, according to a 2014 RCMP report.

$53.8-million Expected cost of the inquiry — $13.8 million more than what was previously anticipated.

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$16.17-million Additional funding intended to supplement existing victims services, including new Family Information Liaison Units that will connect families of those who have gone missing or been murdered to resources.

820 days Length of inquiry, which kicks off September 1, 2016 and ends December 31, 2018.

5 Number of commissioners leading the inquiry. They are chief commissioner Marion Buller, B.C.'s first female First Nations judge; Michèle Audette, former president of the Native Women's Association of Canada; Qajaq Robinson, an Ottawa-based, Nunavut-born lawyer who specializes in aboriginal issues; Marilyn Poitras, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan; and Brian Eyolfson, an Ontario-based First Nations lawyer.

$174,700–$271,500 Salary range for participating commissioners.

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17 Number of pre-inquiry consultations held in 2016.

9 Pages in the inquiry's official terms of reference.

More: What we need to learn from the life and death of Tina Fontaine Why the Liberals need to get the MMIW inquiry right Justin Trudeau' new cabinet is a dream team — and here's why

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