Vancouver – National Day of Action on Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People 2021

Summer Rain, Community member, organiser and member of the Wildflower Women of Turtle Island. 

October 4, 2021, was the National Day of Action on Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People. The day was acknowledged by the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Battered Women’s Support Services with a gathering at Crab Park to honour Indigenous women, warriors, grassroots and frontline workers in Vancouver’s DTES. The park was decorated with red dresses and posters to illuminate the continuing violence against Indigenous women.

500 red dresses illuminated by candles were made for the gathering.
Poster at Crab Park, Vancouver

Crab Park is often used to commemorate missing and murdered  Indigenous women and girls. It has been proposed as the perfect site for an Indigenous healing and cultural centre. Many First Nations and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs support the centre.  Across the water, from the park, the $454- million Port Authority expansion of the Centerm Expansion Project is seen. 

Lavita Trimble performs a smudging ceremony at the gathering.
Audrey Siegel speaks about the pain of losing family and the horror of MMIW.
Lavita Trimble performs a smudging ceremony at the gathering.
A traditional eagle feather is used in the smudging ceremony.

Statistics Canada figures indicate that Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or declared missing than non-Indigenous Canadian women.

I came across this blog post by Feminist Delivers that gives lots of practical action for settlers in Canada. 

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