MISHKEEGOGAMANG FN – A group of walkers are headed to Thunder Bay from the First Nation community of Mishkeegogamang.
The walk will start with an opening prayer by Eva Skunk at her residence. We will be walking from Mishkeegogamang to Sioux Lookout, then to Dinorwic, to Kakabeka Falls and completing the walk in Thunder Bay. This walk is to honour, acknowledge and bring awareness of our women that have been “reported missing”, Sarah Skunk and Viola Panacheese, and the “unsolved murder” of Rena Fox.
Also, to remember the unsolved cases within the community, Lena Lawson, Thomas Lyons and Sophie Wassaykeesic.
Chief Connie Grey McKay is the spokesperson for the walk.
Chief Grey says that in her community the issue of murdered and missing women and men is a serious one. There have been thirty deaths in the community in recent years.
Trying to get the federal government to fully understand the issue, and to fully work with the First Nations to make the changes needed has been very difficult.
Chief Grey says that in far too many cases it is the conditions on the First Nations that cause many of the problems. She shares in the interview how issues with funding from the federal government leave the community with few choices or the inability to make the needed choices.
First Nations leaders across Canada have been joined by many communities in calling on the Federal Conservative government to launch a national inquiry into Murdered and Missing Aboriginal Women. To date the government has not moved forward on the call for that inquiry.
The walkers will leave the community on May 9th. NetNewsLedger will be updating on their progress.
