How Manitobans can mark the MMIWG Day of Awareness

Ceremonies and vigils are happening in Manitoba on Tuesday to allow residents to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Tuesday marks the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as well as the provincial MMIWG Day of Awareness.

Advocate Angela Lavallee said Tuesday’s events are aimed at bringing awareness to the issues, and keeping MMIWG in the conversation in order to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls for justice.

Some of the events taking place in Manitoba include a memorial and awareness walk in Thompson. In Winnipeg, there will be a fire lighting at Oodena Circle, and a feast and candlelight vigil at The Forks.

“There are people who are taking up space in ceremony. There’s a beautiful gathering at the [legislature] today,” Lavallee said in an interview on Tuesday.

“So if anybody is out in the Winnipeg area, we please invite you to come out to honour, to be in this space.”

Lavallee said Canadians can help with the issue of MMIWG by teaching their children what it means to be an Indigenous woman or girl in Canada, and to see Indigenous women and girls as more than just statistics.

“We are ceremonialists. We are activists. We’re mothers. We’re grandmothers,” she said.

Lavallee said the impact of MMIWG on families is something that words can’t even describe.

“Knowing that your child or your loved one is missing and you have no idea what happened or some closure,” she said.

“If something tragic happened, at least you now. If somebody goes missing, you never know.”

She added it’s vital to understand the different intersections of MMIWG in order to understand how you can be part of the change.

In a joint statement, Premier Heather Stefanson, Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Rochelle Squires said the province remembers MMIWG as people, family members and friends.

“We remember them as women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people with hopes and dreams, whose voices will not be silenced,” the statement said.

“We vow to continue to pursue justice on their behalf and lend our support to their grieving families to help ensure a safer society for everyone.”

The statement said the province is committed to implementing the national inquiry’s calls for justice, and that it continues to work with all levels of government to implement the priorities in the national action plan.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.