Lethbridge residents march for missing and murdered women, girls, two-spirit peoples

Dressed in red and carrying posters, about two dozen people made their way through downtown Lethbridge on Friday to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit peoples (MMIWG2S).

“It’s important for me to be here today because missing and murdered Indigenous women is something that has closely impacted my family,” said Sandra Lamouche, who took part in the march.

“My grandmother was a victim of an unsolved murder in the 1960s, and my sister was missing for a period of time; luckily we were able to find her.”

The countrywide event is meant to honour the humanity of the thousands of people who have been taken from their families.

The walk began in 1992 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Those in Lethbridge have been marching for more than 15 years to show compassion, community and caring for all women.

“In this city alone, women are getting targeted,” said Tseten Drawu, organizer of the march.

“It’s happening here, so this is an act showing that it needs to stop.”

The Canadian Research Institute estimates 1,200 Indigenous women and girls are missing or have been murdered in Canada.

Other estimates put that number closer to 5,000.

Indigenous women are five times more likely to die as a result of violence—more than any other group of women in Canada, the institute says.

They’re also at greater risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner or by a stranger.

“We demand justice on behalf of the family and friends and ask all levels of government—federal, provincial, municipal—to take action on the 231 calls for justice listed in the final report of the National Inquiry of Missing and Murdered Indigenous and Girls,” said Drawu.

The group braved the -20 C weather Friday to march from city hall to Galt Gardens and back, sharing stories and songs throughout the streets of downtown.

“The No. 1 thing is awareness, acknowledgment and to look into what are some of the remedies that we can do to better protect women,” said Lamouche.

“The other one is overimprisonment of Indigenous women and looking at how do we support women so that they don’t end up there and where we can support them financially and socially and all those different areas in order to be able to live healthy and successful lives.”