MMIWG advocates take message on the road

WINNIPEG -

A group of MMIWG advocates braved the heat on Saturday for a 35-kilometre walk from Selkirk to Winnipeg to raise awareness on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Organizer Rainey Raven was joined by family, friends and a support vehicle for the seven-hour journey. The first of what she would like to become an annual event.

The issue is a personal one for Raven, who lost her cousin Jasmine Normand to a May homicide in Winnipeg, and knew the victim of another murder.

MMIWG awareness walk from Selkirk to Winnipeg, June 5 (Source: Dan Timmerman, CTV News)

"I see how it affects everyone. It doesn't just affect the family. It affects the whole community. This violence needs to stop. All of our missing and murdered needs to stop," said Raven.

The choice of a walk to raise awareness on MMIWG was a calculated one. Raven said using social media can be effective, but a lot of people drive and the group with its message will be hard to miss.

"Social media, yeah, that's a big thing for getting something out, but when it's not posted as much as you want it to be, it's heard," said Raven.

Raven is also the founder of a support group called "Never be Forgotten," which aims to recognize all of the murdered and missing.

"I'm trying to show the families that somebody hasn't given up and that there are still people out here looking for answers and want to help them," said Raven.