October 4 marks a day of remembrance for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada.
Kenora is one of many communities across the Norhtwest holding a Sisters in Spirit vigil to mark the occasion.
Pam MacNaughton, from the Kenora office of the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA), one the organizing groups for the event, said it will start at 5:30 p.m. at their office, with a dinner for the community.
“Following the dinner, we are going to walk down to the harbour. We have an elder joining us,” said MacNaughton. “She will be doing opening prayer for us. And we will put down tobacco.”
MacNaughton said after the ceremony, hopefully it will be dark enough outside to see “a lit candle that we will carry to honour our sisters and our loved ones who have been murdered or are missing.”
In a symbolic gesture, she said many of the people at the event will wear red dresses, skirts or other clothing.
“The red dress is commemorative a piece of clothing to honour our lost sisters," she explained.
“It’s a very important event that we as indigenous people carry with us, because we’ve all been impacted. We’ve lost somebody, or many somebodies – in our families, in our communities, in our nation."
Pam Carlson, a colleague of MacNaugton’s at ONWA, added “violence against indigenous women and girls represents 16 percent of all female homicides in Canada, while Indigenous women and girls are only four percent of the population, so it is a [hugely] impacted community for violence.”
“We’re doing the best to empower ourselves,” said MacNaughton, “and to educate our children, our families and our communities against the dangers that are out there.”
It's something Indigenous people carry with them on a daily basis, she said.
“We would like to stand shoulder to shoulder with our community to support one another.”
Along with ONWA, the vigil in Kenora is being organized by the Kenora Sexual Assault Centre and the Ne-Chee Friendship Centre.
A Sisters in Spirit vigil is also taking place in Sioux Lookout on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30p.m. at Town Beach.
