Despite an extreme cold warning due to an arctic wind chill, a group of supports gathered together on the steps of the Prince George Court House to participate in the annual Women’s Memorial March.
This is the first time the event has been held in Prince George since 2018 due to COVID-19. However, the organizing committee came back together this year to host another march.
“It's been a few years since we've gathered, I think the biggest thing, the whole reason we're here is for the call for justice for all the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and men and boys too, across Canada,” said organizer Ken Solanas.
The Women’s Memorial March is held annually in many cities across Canada and was first held in 1992 in Vancouver in response to the murder of a woman on the downtown east side.
The march continues, on the 14 Feb. each year to commemorate and honour the lives of those lost and call for action as Indigenous women and girls continue to be disproportionally lost and affected by gender-based violence.
Solanas said the planning happened a little late his year in Prince George, but was happy the organizers were able to pull together an event to mark the occasion and raise awareness.
According to Amnesty International, Indigenous women and girls are at least three times more likely to experience violence, and at least six times more likely to be murdered than any other woman or girl in Canada.
Prince George is also located along Highway 16 - commonly referred to as the Highway of Tears – the 725-kilometre stretch of highway where many Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered since 1970.
Lheildi T’enneh Elder Darlene McIntosh opened the March with a welcoming and a prayer, as supporters held signs ready to make the walk to the Prince George Native Friendship Centre where speakers and performers would address the crowd and food would be served.
“We have to be vigilant. We have to put the awareness out there that we need to protect our women and girls and boys too, for that matter,” said McIntosh.
She said participating in the March is important because despite being a community located on the Highway of Tears, sometimes there’s apathy to the situation especially among men.
“What always comes to mind is where are our men? Where are our warrior men that need to come be in the place of protection for women and girls?” said McIntosh.
“I would like to see more awareness with the men, to bring themselves into the moment — into consciousness and remember our ancestors and what they did for our women. They protected them. Of course, with our young girls and our women, they need to be vigilant and support each other and always be there just in case something happens.”
She said supporting the Women’s Memorial March is also important for family members who’ve lost a loved one and never had closure.
“The families, they're heartbroken and looking always for that closure and sometimes they won't get that closure, so we need to show them that we're there in spirit. We're physically supporting them and being with them on their journey,” added McIntosh.
“Considering today and how cold it is with the wind chill, and we have people come out that says there is that support. Of course, we know that Prince George, the community, always comes and supports however that may be.”
Following the march, the event included speakers like Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls advocate Brenda Wilson, Lheidli T’enneh Councillor Crystal Gibbs, as well as Sonya Rock the Vice Principal of Nusdeh Yoh Elementary School along with Khast’an drummers, Pow Wow Dancer Grant West, and Jingle Dress Dancer Tracy Peters performing.
