Ceremony held in PG to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

“Never give up hope, please.”

That was part of the raw, emotional message from Matilda Wilson, who has had women in her life, both family and friends, go missing, or found murdered.

Today (Thursday) is Red Dress Day, and many people showed up at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park this morning to remember those they’ve lost, to advocate for more to be done to stop these tragedies, and to build awareness and show support.

“I’ve heard some mothers and some sisters talking yesterday, and they never had closure. They never did find their loved ones. That’s the hardest thing in the world, because for ten months my daughter was missing and they finally found her,” added Wilson.

“And imagine how the mothers and the sister are feeling, and the families, because they never had closure.

A march is also being held today, which starts at the Prince George RCMP detachment at 3 PM.

“We will walk to the Prince George Courthouse, we drum there, and continue our walk to Cottonwood Island Park. And where the gazebo is there, we’ll be meeting there between 4-4:30 PM. We’re also going to have an open mic, we’re going to smudge, we’re going to drum, we’re going to ask the families and the advocates and allies to share their stories, and share their perspective,” said organizer Wes Mitchell.

A new project was also announced, called the Pillars of Hope and Strength.

The Pillar of Hope will be located in Prince George, and the Pillar of Strength will be located in Prince Rupert.

These pillars will be made out of red cedar, and are being carved on each side by local Indigenous artists.

According to the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN), Indigenous women are at least 5.5 times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women.

The 724 km stretch of Highway 16 between PG and Prince Rupert, known as “The Highway of Tears”, has had awareness campaigns and calls to action to stop the disappearances and the murders occurring along that road.

31 recommendations were put together in a symposium, aiming to make the area safer.

“What we need to do is implement, like we have done with the 31 recommendations of the symposium report, of the Opal inquiry, of the National Action Plan, needs to be properly resourced, and commitments with timelines to the recommendations. That’s what needs to happen, it’s not just the federal government, it’s the provincial government, it’s the municipal governments,” said BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee.

It was noted that it wasn’t just women and girls who are going missing or found murdered, but also men and boys, and that this is a problem that needs to be addressed by everyone, regardless of gender.

Drumming started off the ceremony at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park to remember murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. A walk will also start at PG's police station at 3pm. pic.twitter.com/AIZR2MrNga

— Brody Langager (@brodylangager) May 5, 2022