Sagkeeng First Nation walk calls for inquiry into missing, murdered indigenous women
Indigenous community members walk over 100 km to Manitoba Legislature to raise awareness for MMIW
Families from Sagkeeng First Nation started walking from their home community Sunday morning calling for an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW). They're headed for the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg and hope to arrive Tuesday.
Crystal Bruyere, the event organizer, lost her cousin Fonessa Bruyere, 17, on Aug. 30 of 2007. She went missing and her body was found later that year along the outskirts of Winnipeg.
Project Devote, a task force dedicated to investigating missing and murdered persons cases in Manitoba, is investigating the homicide.
"Police told me she was a runaway, but she was a good girl, a happy girl. She loved her culture, she loved to laugh," said Janet Bruyere.
"I always think of her every day and night.... I always think she's going to phone me and I wait for her at night."
"Fonessa was murdered and we still don't have any closure eight years later," said Crystal. "Somebody has to know something."
Crystal Bruyere said she wants the public to know her family, and those of other MMIW, continue to struggle with what happened to their loved ones.
"There's families out here ... still suffering without knowing where their loved ones are, or still suffering not knowing who hurt their [them] and why," said Bruyere.
"They're missing; they need to come home. Their families need closure…. Our family needs closure. We need to find the people responsible for doing this."
A CBC analysis found Sagkeeng first Nation has the highest number of unsolved cases of MMIW.
Sagkeeng is located just over 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Isabel Fontaine and Agnes
Abraham from Sagkeeng First Nation, the sisters of Sharon Abraham whose body was found on Robert Pickton's farm, are also walking.
Members of Tina Fontaine's family are expected to join the walk this week.