Family walking 3,000 km for missing and murdered women and men

WINNIPEG – A group of Canadians are walking across the country to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and men.

Spearheading the journey is Brenda Osborne, who is still searching for answers after her daughter Claudette went missing in 2008.

“We haven’t got a lead or a tip so we’re just wondering, are they doing investigations? Are they doing the work they’re supposed to?” said Osborne.

While the trail has gone cold, Osborne is forging a new one by walking more than 3,000 kilometers to keep her daughter’s name alive and help other families wanting to create change.

Osborne is one of more than one thousand indigenous woman who have gone missing or been murdered in Canada over the last 30 years.

“Our children, our siblings our loved ones… we find them and we cherish life and every step will be for every person,” said Myrna Abraham whose sister and cousins were murdered.

The group is going from Winnipeg to Prince Rupert by foot, making stops in cities like Saskatoon and Edmonton along the way where others will join along.

This is the first time they have has walked out west for missing and murdered men and women. In 2011, a group walked to Ottawa to make others aware of the national issue.

The goal is to encourage the federal government to launch an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

“We always hope… that’s the only thing we have is hope,” said Osborne.

Both the federal Liberal and NDP parties have said they would support an inquiry, the Conservatives have said that’s not necessary.