Evening of Hope to empower girls in La Ronge, Sask. after northern suicides

An Evening of Hope is being held Saturday for the community of La Ronge in northern Saskatchewan, where residents are still coming to grips with the loss of six young girls to suicide. 

A series of speakers, all Indigenous women, will aim to empower young women by sharing their personal stories.

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Event organizer Brooke Graham said the idea was conceived at a meeting with Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth Corey O'Soup.

"One of the problems that we are facing is hitting a lot of the girls in our community, and so we wanted to do something specifically for them," said Graham.

She added that hearing from the speakers could help the young girls by letting them know others have been through similar experiences.

"They've been there and they know what it feels like to go through a lot of the things that the girls are going through."

Powerful stories

Author and filmmaker Maria Campbell will address the young girls, as will Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.

There will also be performances by the New Dawn Drummers, a traditional drumming group comprising four sisters from La Ronge, about 380 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

Margaret Bird, one of the four drummers, also plans to share her story of growing up in and out of foster homes.

She has a message of hope to send to the young girls and women at the event.

"I'd want them to keep looking forward, no matter how hard life gets, and to keep on going and follow what they believe and just don't ever give up," Bird told CBC Radio's The Afternoon Edition.

"Things may seem hard and difficult and despite any past you might have, you can always have a better future."

The Evening of Hope begins at 5:30 at the Kikinahk Friendship Centre in La Ronge.