Wednesday evening was somber in downtown Lethbridge, as crowds gathered for the Sisters in Spirit Vigil and Memorial Walk.
Now in its 17th year, the event honours the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirit and LGBTQ2 people.
On Oct. 4, attendees made their way from city hall to Galt Gardens with a police escort to listen to speeches and participate in a candle-lit vigil.
Junior Miss Piikani Princess, Lenn Crowshoe, a speaker at the vigil, said they were elated so many people took part.
“What I really want to come out of my speech is for people to know that we cannot be silenced,” said Crowshoe. “As a First Nations person, we are still here, and we’re still thriving, and we are still dealing with this trauma.”
According to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, a Statistics Canada report in 2020 indicated the homicide rate is over five times higher for Indigenous women as compared to non-Indigenous women.
Emcee Selena Medicine Shield said that it’s not an easy subject to talk about but she does it for her family.
“My grandmother, Gloria Black Plume, she was murdered in 1999 and she never got justice. And so I go around and I advocate in her honour.”
In 2019, the national inquiry released its final report with 231 calls for justice on a federal and provincial level, but the 2022 progress report states little work has been made.
While the path forward remains uncertain, many will carry on commemorating Sisters in Spirit Day by reflecting, remembering, and advocating for change.
“Lots of women could be our moms, our aunties, sisters, cousins, friends and even grandmas,” said Kynleigh Day Chief, a young participant at the Lethbridge event.
“We hope that no more of that happens.”