An annual walk in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is in its 15th consecutive year, and the issue is no closer to being solved.
Organizer Alaya McIvor, whose own cousin was murdered in 2011 and is a survivor of sexual exploitation, told 680 CJOB that the walk started in response to the the disappearance of Sunshine Wood, then 16, in 2004.
The annual walk begins at 285 Smith St. – the parking lot of the hotel where Wood was last seen.
“The community came together on Mother’s Day and started drawing awareness to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” said McIvor. “The past 15 years, we’ve been mobilizing.
“Each year, you just learn how to deal with the pain, but overall, my stance – because I’ve never had an opportunity or a chance to mourn for my cousin – is drawing attention and pulling families together and lifting the families up.
“I think that’s important for me, moving forward, in addressing missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women and holding that collective tight.”
Although the event happens on Mother’s Day each year, the timing for the 2019 walk is particularly notable, given the recent high-profile murder conviction in the death of Indigenous woman Christine Wood.
“I lift that family up. I hold them near and dear to my heart,” said McIvor.
“Moving forward, that’s all we can do, is to lift them up and continue lifting them up.”
Although the walk is strongly rooted in the local Indigenous community, McIvor said the issue affects the broader population as well, and it’s open to anyone wanting to pay their respects and raise awareness.
“It’s not only Indigenous people. We need to keep in mind our allies are very important to this walk to join us and to raise awareness.
“Everybody’s welcome. The more the better. Manitobans have been at the forefront when it comes to this issue.”
The walk begins Sunday at 2 p.m. outside the former St. Regis Hotel.
WATCH: ‘Justice for Christine’: Indigenous community reacts to Overby verdict
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