Annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil held in honour and memory
On Oct. 4, 2016 communities across Canada held annual Sisters in Spirit Vigils, recognizing and upholding a national day of remembering and honouring aboriginal women. Nationally, the night serves to offer both community members and those of First Nation, Metis, and Inuit descent a chance to grieve, heal, and strengthen together.
This year, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis held their fourth annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil at the Boathouse on Gordon Street. To begin the evening, a land acknowledgement was made to the Attawandaron people, as the Boathouse sits on traditional Attawandaron territory. A group of community drummers followed with a song to honour and remember those who we’ve lost. After, words from Women in Crisis and from the family of a victim were shared, then participants lit candles and made way across the bridge to Marianne’s Park for an official recognition and moment of silence.
“Traditionally, aboriginal women are revered as life-givers in their community and are highly respected and protected by men and their families.”
Aboriginal women in Canada are three times more likely to live in poverty, three times more likely to live in unsafe and inadequate housing, and are five times more likely to be murdered relative to non-aboriginal women. These statistics shared at the vigil continuously motivate foundations and interest groups across Canada to advocate on behalf of missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada.
The event also acknowledged the overlooked subject of how families of the victims are left to endure unsettling ripple effects from their missing loved ones. Traditionally, aboriginal women are revered as life-givers in their community and are highly respected and protected by men and their families. As life-givers, women are considered to be the backbone of the household, and with them gone, family members suffer greater risks of substance abuse and mental health complications.
“After several public displays of discontent from various communities, the Canadian government officially launched a national inquiry into these cases on Sept. 1, 2016.”
At the vigil, the story of Denise Bordeaux was shared. Bordeaux, 39-years-old at the time, went missing on Dec. 31, 2006 in Waterloo, Ont. Later found and declared dead, a close family member found solace in alcohol during their grieving process. This dependance deepened, leading to mishaps with law enforcement officers and a formal arrest.
Noting that many friends and families were left unsatisfied with the police work on over 200 unsolved cases, the CBC launched an accessible online database. This open forum can be used as both a tool to upload photos and case details as well as a means to personalize the women and their stories with biographies written by friends and family. After several public displays of discontent from various communities, the Canadian government officially launched a national inquiry into these cases on Sept. 1, 2016.
Photo by Kate Schievink.