Spirit of Our Sisters Gathering at Edmonton

SOS Registration

Registration for the three-day Sisters in Spirit Gathering took place Monday. The event is being held at West Edmonton Mall, with families of the murdered and missing Indigenous women in attendance. The hope, says organizer Karen McCarthy, is to plan steps in moving forward in dealing with the issue.
(Photo: Hazel Martial)

REDress project

The REDress project is just one way in which the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women is being highlighted this week at the three-day Sisters in Spirit Gathering in Edmonton. Jamie Black, an Aboriginal artist from Winnipeg, began this project five years ago. The dresses symbolize the violence faced by Indigenous women but also the power of community coming together to fight.
(Photo: Hazel Martial)

Comfort given at SOS Gathering

Nahanni Fontaine, with the Manitoba Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Strategy and Calgary actor Michelle Thrush comfort Stephanie Harpe during her speech. Harpe’s mother Ruby Anne McDonald was killed in 1999 and no charges were ever laid. (Photo: Hazel Martial)

Notable autograph

Keynote speaker at the
Sisters in Spirit Gathering yesterday Dr. Gabor Mate shook hands with an elderly man after signing a copy of his book, “Hold Onto Your Kids.” Mate provided insight into how self-generated emotions play an important role in physical health.
(Photo: Hazel
Martial)

Lunchtime conversation

Edmonton-Manning NDP
candidate Aaron Paquette, along with Brandon Stevens and Rebecca Bock-Freeman, talk to Shannon Phillips, minister responsible for the status of women, during lunch. Phillip’s speech yesterday at the Sisters in Spirit Gathering, included
a recap of her government’s actions since taking office in May, such as an apology to residential school survivors and support of a national public inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women.
(Photo: Hazel Martial)