The North Island Students’ Union will hold a Sisters In Spirit Vigil on Oct 4.
October 4 is a day when we honour the lives of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, and support families who have been tragically touched by the loss of a loved one to violence. Vigils take many forms: a rally, a candlelight vigil, a workshop, a moment of silence, a walk, or a gathering of people to share memories and a meal.
The North Island Students’ Union has responded to a call for action by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) to hold a vigil and demand a national inquiry into the cases of our missing and murdered indigenous women.
“For far too long, almost 600 cases of missing women have been largely unacknowledged by our government” says Savannah McKenzie, National Aboriginal Representative for the Canadian Federation of Students. “It is no secret that Canada has perpetuated violence on Aboriginal people since the beginning of colonization. Tragically, in 2013 we must continue to fight for equal protection in our society.”
As part of the event, participants will have an opportunity to sign a petition calling on the government to hold a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.
NWAC hopes that the Sisters In Spirit Vigil movement will live on for generations, with October 4 being a national day of remembrance for Aboriginal women and girls not only in Canada but also across the globe. In Ottawa, October 4 has been officially declared “Sisters In Spirit Vigil Day” for the fourth consecutive year.
In 2013, student and community groups will hold more than 200 vigils across Canada, honouring our missing and murdered Aboriginal mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers and aunties on October 4th. This is the largest number of events to date marking this annual day of remembrance. A detailed list of the Vigil locations can be found at: http://www.nwac.ca/2013-vigil-locations.
The North Island Students’ Union will host a vigil on October 4 at noon in front of Discovery Hall at North Island College on the Courtenay Campus. This is an inclusive event and everyone is welcome.
— North Island Students’ Union