Enoch to host MMIW conference

A national conference to honour murdered and missing Indigenous women of Canada will take place May 25-27 at the Spirit of Our Sisters gathering to be held at the River Cree Resort and Casino on Enoch Cree Nation. “The vision behind this gathering is to bring families of victims, resource and service leaders, experts in various criminology and violence prevention fields, government departments, Indigenous leaders, and individuals who have an interest in coming together to raise awareness on the scope of this incredibly wretched but significant issue,” said Karen McCarthy, CEO of the Alberta Indigenous Entertainment Group and Spirit of Our Sisters conference manager. The Spirit of Our Sisters steering committee consists of Former National Chief Ovide Mercredi, Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Derek Nepinak, Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Okimaw Wallace Fox, Josie Nepinak of the Awotaan Native Women’s Shelter, and Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief of Alberta Cameron Alexis. The focus is dedicated to the grassroots movement of Indigenous women but there will also be opportunities for various stakeholders such as government and the private sector to share information and/or resources, and initiate discussion from different perspectives geared toward actions ensuring the current trends begin to see a decline of murdered and missing Indigenous women.