Vigil to remember missing and murdered Aboriginal women

Sisters in Spirit is an annual vigil held across the country on October 4th to address the loss of these women in our communities. Greyeyes says it's important to both raise awareness of the problem, as well as support the families of the women.

"Just make the community aware that we're still looking for these women and want to know where they are," she says. "There's so many women that are missing from this community, or have been murdered. We need to start raising our voices and make it so that in this community it's not okay to hurt our women."

A healing ceremony for the families and those who have lost a loved one was held Friday evening at the Nenan Dane zaa office. The hope was that it could help start a healing process for those grieving, and open them up to services in the community like counselling and workshops.

"It's not easy to go through the grief and loss of a loved one so traumatically," says Greyeyes. "My hope is that when they leave, that they start that, that they don't carry that around with them anymore."

The Sisters in Spirit vigil will be another opportunity for the friends and families of the missing and murdered women to build themselves up emotionally. Starting at 5:00 p.m. on October 4 from the Fort St. John Friendship Centre, there will be a walk to City Hall, where a statement will be read, and a token will be left. The group will then return to the Friendship Centre for a feast and drumming, as well as an opportunity for the women's families to speak. Everyone of any race or gender is invited to attend and honour the missing and murdered women in our community, and show support to their families.

Earlier in the day a free workshop will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Friendship Centre called "From Stilettos to Moccassins", intended to help drug and alcohol addicted women.