Wednesday marks the first observance of an annual day in Manitoba to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
A gathering will be held at the Legislative Building, organized by families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous organizations working on their behalf. Various singers, drummers and dancers will perform.
Indigenous and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke encouraged all Manitobans to show their support for the ongoing plight of the families.
“This is an issue that affects all of us as Manitobans and we must continue to raise awareness of this injustice” said Clarke.
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Police reports dating back to 1980 suggest that some 1,200 Indigenous women and girls in Canada have gone missing or been murdered.
“As we gather together on Oct. 4, 2017, to remember MMIWG, we need to recognize this is not an Indigenous issue, this is a Canadian issue,” said Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson, MKO. “As Indigenous women and girls, we have the right to live, the right to feel safe and together we can end this national tragedy.”
The observance begins with formal remarks at 5 p.m. followed by a feast and candlelight vigil on the stairs of the Legislative Building.
The day of awareness was designated by the Manitoba Legislative Assembly May 25, 2017 by unanimous decision.
Manitoba was the first province to introduce an official day of observance.
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