Annual Sisters in Spirit Vigils
Families and Friends Demand Justice for Victims of Violence
This year is the 18th year of Sisters in Spirit vigils calling for justice for the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada and Quebec. The annual vigils hold the Canadian government to account for the conditions that foster violence against Indigenous women and girls who suffer from inhuman social conditions, the aftermath of residential schools and other genocidal colonial arrangements. The vigils are a bold rejection of the callous indifference of the state to the plight of Indigenous Peoples and a moving expression of social love for the thousands of women -- daughters, mothers, aunties and grandmothers -- whose lives have been lost over the decades.
Montreal
On the evening of October 4, close to 100 people participated in the Annual Memorial Vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans and Two-Spirit People. They gathered in Montreal's Cabot Square, then marched to Place du Canada, to the place where the John A. McDonald monument used to stand before it was toppled.
The event, organized by the Native
Women's Shelter of Montreal's Iskweu Project and the Centre for
Gender Advocacy, commemorated and demanded justice for Missing
and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Trans, and
Gender Diverse People (MMIWG2S+), as part of the nationwide
Sisters in Spirit Vigil Day. Participants listened to speeches
and to testimonials from those who have lost loved ones.
"The reason we are here," said one speaker, "is because of our sisters, our mothers, our aunties, our nieces, and our daughters. We're here to acknowledge them and to remind everybody that they matter and that it's our responsibility to keep looking for them because no one else is taking on that cause."
This year's action highlighted the unsolved cases of five Inuit women found deceased by hanging in the Cabot Square area since 2011 and the demand that these cases be solved; the one-year anniversary of the death of Alasie Tukkiapik, a 41-year-old Inuk woman; the situation facing young Indigenous girls living in group homes, who often run away due to poor conditions, further exposing themselves to danger; the failure of Quebec's child welfare system to listen to Indigenous children and separating families unnecessarily and the demand for better treatment of those children and for their voices to be heard.
Participants were called on to:
- Continue to demand that organizations fulfill their obligations to Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit and gender-diverse people as set out by the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls;
- Raise awareness about the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, which has persisted since colonization began.
- Fight for justice and keep the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls alive, as their cases are often ignored or met with inaction.
- Implement meaningful and effective strategies to address the devastating impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples.
- Ensure the safety and security of Indigenous children and future generations by taking matters into our own hands and changing the course of the future.
- Acknowledge and honour the experiences and resilience of Indigenous families affected by violence and loss.
During the march along busy St. Catherine Street, marchers shouted slogans such as No Justice, No Peace! What Do We Want? Justice! When Do We Want It? Now! and onlookers were invited to join the march.
A cultural component was also part of the event, including singing by Indigenous women and girls, throat singing and drumming.
At the end of the action, hot drinks were served and one and all were encouraged to step up the struggle in defence of Indigenous women and girls.
Ottawa
A dignified and moving ceremony was held by Families of Sisters in Spirit in Ottawa on October 4, the 18th year of Sisters in Spirit vigils on Parliament Hill on Algonquin territory, and the 20th anniversary of Amnesty International's report, Stolen Sisters, A human rights response to discrimination against Indigenous women in Canada.
As organizer Bridget Tolley pointed out: "We are here to remember all our Indigenous sisters gone missing or murdered, to remind everyone that we are still waiting for help for our murdered and missing Indigenous women and their families. We've been asking for truth, accountability and justice for everyone. What happened to the recommendations 20 years ago? How many recommendations have there been since, and how many have been done?"
Opening prayer was said by Angie Bear, who had just arrived from a fire ceremony in Saskatchewan, where elders gave her a blanket which she wrapped around Bridget to help her with her loss and her work in keeping the memory of Indigenous women and girls alive.
As part of the ceremony, Bridget cut off a lock of her hair as an expression of the sacrifices and suffering of Indigenous people and the demand that it stop. While people formed a circle around Bridget and her granddaughter and great granddaughter to protect the ceremony, singers performed a powerful rendition of the Strong Woman's Song which was written by Indigenous women in the prison for women in Kingston. Bridget's lock of hair was placed in a smudge bowl.
A rose ceremony was also held for Chanel Charette, a young Anishinaabe woman who was struck down by a driver while riding her bicycle in Vanier. She died two days later on September 26. Her cousin and friends were present to share their grief and honour her memory.
Dr. Beverley Jacobs, a law professor and Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River, who was the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada from 2004 to 2009, spoke of her work with Amnesty International, meeting with families across the country who shared their grief and pain of having lost a loved one. She said that people who are searching for their missing mothers or sisters, or who have to stop working to participate in a court case which reveals all the gruesome details of what happened to their loved one, need resources on many levels to cope with these challenges. She also pointed out that what is happening to Indigenous people is an international matter. "Across the world, we are targets," she said. In reference to dealing with government and police inaction or indifference, she said "We need to figure out what we need to do. We need a process to help the families going through the courts, to prepare them, to accompany them," adding that this initiative must be taken up by Indigenous Peoples themselves.
This article was published in
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/ITN2024/Articles/TI54624.HTM
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