THUNDER BAY - A virtual vigil held this Sunday will honour honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
The Sisters in Spirit virtual vigil organized by the Native Women's Association of Canada will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The event will be livestreamed on the organization's Facebook page.
Sisters in Spirit vigils have been held in Thunder Bay since 2008. This year's vigil was moved online over COVID-19 concerns.
A statement released on behalf of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and the organization's Women's Council supported the event, saying the day was a chance not only to honour MMIWG, but to press for action.
"Women are sacred; it is our collective responsibility to take steps towards keeping our women and girls safe," the statement reads in part. "On behalf of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the NAN Women’s Council insists upon substantive change across all levels of government and services utilizing the Families First Principle (nothing for us, without us), so that no more Indigenous women and girls are lost.”
The Native Women's Association suggested ways to show support beyond participating in the vigil: lighting a candle in home windows, adding Sisters in Spirit social media frames to raise awareness, and supporting an Amnesty International letter campaign calling for a National Action Plan on MMIWG.
