Stolen Sisters Awareness rally for aboriginal women held in Edmonton
More than 100 people attended the event, which included speeches, a walk and a rally
While Sisters in Spirit vigils were held across North America on Saturday, in Edmonton people marched to speak for aboriginal women who they have lost.
The event began inside a gym, where many people spoke about a family members that went missing — or were murdered. Participants then marched through downtown before ending up at the Alberta legislature, where they held a rally.
Marilyn Wapass was one of the participants in this year’s event. Her sister Maxine went missing near Saskatoon in 2001 and her remains were found a year later.
She says it hasn’t been easy because the problem is still significant — and may be getting worse.
“The numbers are so much greater than they were before. It’s a constant reminder of the inequality that exists in society,” Wapass said. “It’s a crime against humanity. This is a very serious issue for all of Canada.”
The participants in the rally stressed that the government needs to step in and something needs to be done.
“There’s too much of this going on,” said Mike Deranger. “We have to have an inquiry because we need to have the support from the highest levels of government, but also to send a message to these people that are killing our young women.”