Sister in Spirit

By Ronnie Kayla Neiman

Sisters in Spirit is an annual event that honours the lives of the numerous missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada. It first began in 2005. It was an initiative to try and seek out effort to research and document the statistics of violence against Indigenous women in Canada. It also hoped to increase awareness and knowledge regarding the treatment of Indigenous women, and to ultimately influence policy to address these issues of violence towards Indigenous women.

Sisters in Spirit focused on policy recommendations for four key areas: Reduction of violence, increased accessible housing options, improved education and employment opportunities and access to justice.

In Brandon, the event is usually held in the courtyard of Brandon University. It is organized by a group of non-profit organizations including The Brandon Friendship Centre, Manitoba Metis Federation of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon Urban Aboriginal People’s Council, Brandon Police Services, Brandon University and The Marquis Project.

Women are asked to wear a skirt as a sign of solidarity. Each year, family members, Aboriginal community members, and concerned citizens gather for a vigil on October 4th to honor the memory of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.

This year, on October 4th, 2020 the Sisters in Spirit was held virtually across various universities and organizations across Canada. However, in Brandon, there is an in-person event where people walked the Discovery trails and were able to get soup and bannock.

Even in these uncertain times, the violence that happens to untold numbers of Indigenous women needs to utilize these kinds of events to allow for increasing awareness.