This year’s international Take Back the Night march was combined with the national Sisters in Spirit Vigils: A movement for social change event in 100 Mile House on Oct. 4.
The 100 Mile House & District Women’s Centre Society, the Canim Lake Band (CLB), White Feather Family Centre and Wellness Centre hosted the event, which attracted around 85 marchers.
Women’s Centre Stop the Violence counsellor Karen Beresford said this year’s Take Back the Night's theme was “Shatter the Silence, Stop the Violence,” and the focus this year was “Honouring the Lives of Missing and Murdered Women,” in conjunction with the Native Women's Association of Canada.
“I think there were 80-85 people at the walk and about 60 stayed for the meal and presentations. It was definitely our best showing yet.
“The walk was wonderful with the members of the Canim Lake Band drumming prior to, and all the way through, the walk.”
Sheila Dick, one of the key organizers and CLB health administrator, says the event was “very emotional.”
She adds there were more than 100 cities and communities celebrating the vigils on Oct. 4.
“No other event in Canada brings so many Aboriginal communities and Canadian citizens together to specifically celebrate, honour and support Aboriginal women and girls."
After the walk around town, most of the marchers went to the boardroom in the South Cariboo Business Centre where it was standing room only.
Family members were invited to light candles in memory of a missing or murdered loved ones from this area. There were 13 candles lit.
Those candles stayed lit all evening, Dick says.
“They came up and lit a candle and said the name of the person. It was very personal and I think it added to the reality.”
Beresford notes Dick talked about the fact there are at least 582 women missing or murdered women across Canada, and the majority of them are in British Columbia.
“She talked about a need to unite to fight the problem and that we need our fathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers to help us in our fight.”
Dick says the Canim Lake Wellness Centre women’s group provided the meal of chili and bannock to share with everyone who attended.
After the meal, she says they watch the video, Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside.
“Even though it was documented in downtown eastside Vancouver, I told the gathering a lot of the women are not from there. They’re from throughout B.C. and Canada.
“So, a lot of those women are from communities much like ours.”
Then two youth, Stanley Daniels and Catriona Henderson, read the joint statement from Sisters in Spirit Vigils: A movement for social change, put together by the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
CLB Chief Mike Archie spoke about the strength of women in the community and the need for the men of their community to support the women.
District of 100 Mile House Councillor Bill Hadden told an emotional story about his family, Dick explains.
“It meant a lot to the organizers to have a city councillor there because I don’t know if we get the support or representation that we need.”
100 Mile House RCMP Const. Claire Myers spoke about the Keep Safe Registry, which is a voluntary DNA and fingerprint registry for anyone (male or female) who wishes to participate. It is an investigative tool for the RCMP to use in a missing person or wrongful death situation.
The tool is fully confidential and sealed until the participant goes missing or becomes a victim of a homicide.
Gail Edinger, the regional co-ordinator for the Co-ordination for Women's Safety, sent a letter, which Beresford read because Edinger could not attend.
“Essentially, it spoke to the need to keep each other safe, and to continue to push the police to look into the deaths of so many women.”
Beresford then read a poem, I'll Rise, by Dr. Jean Leonard.
Says Dick: “I think that what made the evening was had people there with their babies and right up to the Elders, and our chief made the effort to attend, drum and speak.
“One of the reasons I wanted to do this with the women’s centre is because we need to move it to the forefront in town. I feel we don’t have enough support for some of its activities.”