On May 5th, Indigenous communities across Turtle Island will be holding events to spread awareness of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. Valerie Dimond, our volunteer news reporter, talks with the community about what they're doing to spread awareness. Dimond says that the community is hoping to raise awareness of the issue and to encourage people to take action to prevent more murders and disappearances. 

"People need to know the significance of how the hurt, hurts our people," Jamie Neighbor member said. "there's just too many missing, and too many murders and more people need to know our stories." 

The community is also working to create a display along the highway in Bonaparte Indian Band of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls so that their names will not be forgotten. The community wants these women to be remembered, and they want people across Canada to know that their not going to stop fighting until every people in open their eyes what is happening in Canada.

The report released by the RCMP in 2021 which was is an important step in spread awareness of the high rate of murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada. According to the report, 1,017 women and girls identified as Indigenous were murdered between 1980 and 2012—a homicide rate roughly 4.5 times higher than that of non-Indigenous women and girls.

While many people feel that this is a national tragedy that demands attention and action, the release of this report is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to spread awareness of the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

It is believed that through increased awareness that Turtle Island can hope to bring an end to this tragedy.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls are vital members of our society and their safety should be our top priority. We must work together to end this violence. spread awareness of this critical issue, support the families of the victims, and make sure that justice is served. Only then can we truly begin to heal as a nation.