THUNDER BAY – Remembering murdered and missing women That was the task at hand at Thunder Bay City Hall today as family, friends and supporters gathered to remember the missing and murdered women.

“There are only two of us left,” shared Mary Netwance. The Aboriginal woman shared a story of pain and sorrow about three of her sisters who have been murdered. One sister here in Thunder Bay, another sister murdered in British Columbia, and a third sister murdered in Minneapolis.  The numbers of women who have gone missing across Canada is far too many.

Missing and Murdered Women Remembered

The missing and murdered women, and the number of unsolved murders were on the minds of everyone at City Hall. Thunder Bay Police Service Constable John Walmark, one of the Aboriginal Liaison officers was on hand to help with the smudging ceremony. 

Sweetgrass, sage, cedar and tobacco encompass the four sacred plants in Aboriginal culture. The burning of these plants are a sign of deep spirituality in Aboriginal practices. Cedar and sage help in driving out negative energy or forces when prayer is offered. Sweetgrass, which signifies kindness, is burned to invite good spirits to enter.

Day of Global Action

“The reality of the extent of violence forged upon our Aboriginal women and girls has been documented time and time again and cannot be ignored any longer,” says Betty Kennedy, ONWA Executive Director. “Over 600 Aboriginal women and girls have been murdered or gone missing, and those numbers continue to climb. On this global day of action, we urge the Federal government to implement a national inquiry into this epidemic without further delay.”

The group was told about the ‘Highway of Tears’ in British Columbia where hundreds of women, often hitch-hiking have disappeared.

In Thunder Bay there is a long list of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

Political Reactions

In Ottawa yesterday Prime Minister Harper was defending the record of the RCMP after the release of a report claiming that RCMP in British Columbia are a part of the problem. In the House of Commons, today, Ralph Goodale charged that the record of police in Canada is solving 84% of the murders of women in Canada, but that the rate of solving a murder of an Aboriginal woman falls to 50%.

“Today, women and men in Ontario and across the world are demanding an end to violence against women,” stated NDP Women’s Issues Critic and Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo  states, “When we look at the statistics, both globally and locally, we see a sobering reality—that one in three women will experience some form of sexual assault in her lifetime. This means that approximately one billion women alive today have experienced the violation of sexual assault. This violence not only hurts the victim but also her family and community. 

“Sexual violence has a legacy of destruction that threatens all of our communities and our children”, continued DiNovo.

“Today, we stand up against this injustice and we stand with those who have experienced violence and those who are working to end it. It is time to stop the cycle of violence. It is time for our sons, partners, and grandsons to refuse to participate in a culture that sanctions violence. On this day, one billion people are rising to demand an end to violence. They are speaking out. Our silence is an act of complicity and today, we are breaking that silence.”

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