Slut Walk places special emphasis on treatment of Aboriginal women

Race, gender and sexual violence were emphasized at this year’s fourth annual Slut Walk in Edmonton.

The walk focused heavily on Canada’s missing and murdered Aboriginal women because a demographic “that has a significantly higher chance of being sexually assaulted and murdered are First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit women,” said emcee Raine Northumberland. “If you haven’t heard of the Highway of Tears, look it up. If you haven’t heard of the annual Memorial Marches for Missing and Murdered Women, look them up.”

Figures recently released by the RCMP indicate that close to 1,200 Aboriginal women and girls have gone missing or been murdered since the 1980s. If the same ratio of white women were murdered and missing, said Northumberland, that would total around 50,000 women. “But because sexualized violence is dismissed so readily in our society; because sexualized violence is historically a weapon of colonization and occupation – this isn’t considered a problem,” she said.

Danielle Boudreau, founder of the annual Memorial March for all the missing and murdered women of Edmonton spoke about the need for respect for all people. “Every year it’s the same: women and being victimized, lesbians and gays are being victimized, transgender people are being victimized, and now our men are being victimized. When are we going to start to look at each other with respect and kindness and realize that we are all human beings and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness?”

Human rights activist Jacqueline Fayant read from her personal statement, “My life story is written by my own female, red skinned, two-spirited, queer, tribal, liberal, Cree, Métis (and so much more) hand. I write my life story with the words and visions of my ancestors weaving their way into my current context, my lived experience. I am the author of my own story so if you decide that you will impose your privilege upon my body or mind, to silence me or oppress me with threats of any type then hear this - I will fight to maintain my sovereignty over my own body politics!”

African-American activist Junetta Jamerson compared the colonization of African-Americans in the United States with that of Aboriginals in Canada, with similar results. “When a new way of relating to each other and the earth was introduced by western Europeans, a mutation occurred and something else took hold on this land. Largely due to the efforts of Aboriginal women, we are now aware and pressuring the government to take the appropriate legal steps to end the murders and disappearances.”

The first Slut Walk was held in Toronto in 2011 and was prompted by the comments of a local police officer, who was quoted as saying that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” Slut Walks followed that year in other Canadian cities, and Edmonton has made it an annual event.

Teaching respect for consent instead of blaming victims for sexual assault is a principal message of the Slut Walk.

“We hope to keep spreading the message about consent and healthy sexuality,” said Danielle Paradis, lead organizer.

Photo caption: After speeches and music, rally goers marched throughout the Whyte Avenue area to bring awareness about consent and healthy sexuality.