The federal government released a National Action Plan (NAP) in response to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people on Thursday, June 3.
It comes two years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ (MMIWG) final report was released.
A carved wooden sign at Sutton Pass summit marks the entrance to Tla-o-qui-aht territory. That is where a small group of people gathered to remember Nuu-chah-nulth loved ones that are missing or were murdered in an event organized by Nora Martin of Tla-o-qui-aht.
Dawn Foxcroft (left), Debra Foxcroft and Kelly Poirier stand for Lisa Marie Young and other Indigenous women who have gone missing or fallen victim to homicide on Sunday, May 2, by the Tseshaht band office in Port Alberni. On Sunday, which is Young's birthday, others were standing for her from noon to 1 p.m. elsewhere on the Tseshaht reserve and in other locations on Vancouver Island, including in downtown Nanaimo.
Lisa Marie Young was last heard of on June 30, 2002, when she was out with friends in Nanaimo to celebrate a birthday. She was 21 at the time.
Two red dresses have gone missing from their display by Highway 4.
The disappearance was noticed today by Jennifer Touchie, as she and her partner checked on the location of the dresses 15 to 20 kilometres east of the Highway 4 junction to Tofino and Ucluelet. The discovery was disturbing, as the pieces were hung about 50 feet apart to recognize two women who are among the countless Indigenous females who have gone missing or were murdered. The dresses were hung on April 25, said Touchie.
In honour of this year’s Red Dress Day on May 5, sisters Nora Martin and Grace Frank are planning to hang three red dresses within Tla-o-qui-aht’s traditional territory.
“We want people to know that our family and relatives are still missing,” said Martin.
The national day of awareness aims to recognize and shed light on the increasingly high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
It’s been over a year since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls delivered its 1,200-page report to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. But despite the three year, $53.8-million federal initiative that gathered testimony from 2,380 people across Canada, August Johnson has yet to hear any news about the disappearance of his niece years ago.
Norma Johnson went missing from what has become known as The Highway of Tears, a 725-kilometre stretch between Prince George and Prince Rupert where dozens of women have been murdered or gone missing since 1970.
A half dozen Nuu-chah-nulth women and NTC employees took part in the 15-kilometre Port Alberni Paper Chase on March 8. The event coincided with International Women’s Day; a global day for celebrating the social, cultural, political and economic achievements of women.
Four women signed up for the 15-kilometre run that started at the Cherry Creek Community Hall, winding its way through the back roads past McLean Mill to Smith Road in Beaver Creek. More than 200 runners from all over Canada took part in the Sunday run.
What started as a conversation around a kitchen table between friends, has evolved into a successful advocacy campaign for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
In just one year, friends Carla Voyageur and Jeannine Lindsay have raised $10,000 through their Lil’ Red Dress Project that will go towards the costs of creating and installing missing person signage on Vancouver Island.
The Lil’ Red Dress Project’s team of volunteers creates beaded red dress pins and earrings to bring awareness to MMIWG.
The deadline is fast approaching for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Aftercare Support.
Victims and family members that made statements during the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) are eligible for extra support of up to $3,500 to assist with their aftercare expenses. But the deadline to make an application is March 15, 2019.
Snow and sub-zero temperatures forced the postponement of the 2nd Annual Walk for Missing & Murdered Women, Men and Children in Duncan on Feb. 9. But only the walk portion was postponed; organizer Monica Patsy Jones invited people into a nearby Cowichan gym where they were served free refreshments and witnessed ceremonies for the families of the missing and/or murdered residents of Duncan, B.C.
The smell of burning sage filled the hall as cultural healers offered brushings and prayers in a separate room. Ushers welcomed people into the warmth of the gym.