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On Oct. 4, the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) held vigils for missing and murdered Aboriginal women across the country, including one in Saskatoon. The purpose—to honor these Aboriginal women, show support for their families, put on a united front, and pressure all levels of government to act.
“We call for a national action plan for Aboriginal women and girls,” said Amnesty International representative Helen Smith-McIntyre as she read out a joint statement that was delivered nationwide as part of the movement of Sisters in Spirit(SIS) vigils.
She added that all levels of government need to work with Aboriginal women—including NWAC and other key stakeholders—on issues of justice, safety, economic security and the well-being of all Aboriginal women and girls.
“And to have every Canadian person understand that Aboriginal women experience violence because they are Aboriginal and because they are women,” Smith-McIntyre stated.
Organizers of the SIS vigil in Saskatoon decided to shake things up a bit this year and change the route of their walk from the usual downtown-Saskatoon and instead have it in the neighborhood of Nutana along Broadway and 8th Street.
At around 6pm, a large group gathered at the Oskayak school gym, slowly making their way outside and into the yard where some people chose amongst some pre-made signs and banners to carry that read such phrases a “Not one more”, ‘Violence Against Aboriginal Women Must Stop’, and ‘Aboriginal Women are Loved and Valued’. A man carrying a lit sage-bunch led the crowd of walkers, with a plume of smoke enveloping those behind them. Four Aboriginal men held hand drums, singing and drumming as the crowd trailed behind and police escorts kept traffic flowing along smoothly.
This year’s vigil appeared to have a record increase of participants as well as the amount of men who came out to show their support, including first-timers Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Guy Lonechild and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan President Robert Doucette. A regular participant for the past few years, Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill attended as well.
Chief Lonechild spoke about the many negative racist comments he sees out there on the internet and headlines about Aboriginal people.
“It’s promoting hatred,” he said, adding that it wrongly supports the ‘us against them’ mentality.
He said he was happy and proud to be supporting the cause.
“To all our women who are out there, hopefully they’re found one day. Hopefully they’re alive, that they’ll come home,” he added.
In the speeches afterward, President Doucette said years ago his own sister went missing and after four years had passed, the family got a letter from her from Kingston Penitentary. After waiting expectantly for six months until her release date, one day she was found dead in her jail cell, he said, which was awful news for the family.
“This is the first time I’ve been to this walk,” President Doucette said. “I want to thank the Creator for giving me the opportunity to be here.… And I make this pledge to come to every walk to support all the beautiful daughters and mothers that are missing and have been murdered.”
Performers Andrea Menard and Yvonne St. Germain were at the event, delivering heartfelt songs that honored missing and murdered Aboriginal women and their families.
Family members of missing women talked about their concerns including Audrey Ben, who spoke of her niece Maria Lasas, who recently went missing. Ben advised those gathered to take down any information such as a license plate umbers that may help in the investigations after an Aboriginal woman goes missing.
“I saw her getting into the vehicle. I didn’t take down the license plate,” she said. “I urge you to take down the license plate.”
There are more than 582 cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, a NWAC release stated. Countless Aboriginal families are grappling with their loss and questioning why more is not being done to address this serious human rights issue.
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