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Walk for missing and murdered to be welcomed at Sugar Cane Thursday

The walk for missing and murdered aboriginal women and men will be welcomed at the Sugar Cane arbor at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Seven walkers on the road raising awareness about missing and murder aboriginal women and men will be welcomed in Williams Lake Thursday evening.

The Williams Lake Indian Band will welcome the group with drumming and dinner at the Sugar Cane powwow arbor starting at 6 p.m. says Chief Ann Louie.

The band will also provide accommodation for the group overnight and send them on their way Friday morning at 10 a.m. with fuel for their support vehicles.

The walkers from Norway House Cree Nation, Manitoba started their journey July 18 and are heading to Prince Rupert raising awareness along the way about missing and murdered women, and men, among aboriginal people in Canada.

"We support them and the work they are doing to raise awareness about missing and murdered women and men,"  Louie says.

She says the large number of unresolved cases of First Nations missing and murdered women, and also of missing and murdered men, have far reaching impacts on First Nation communities.

"Many of us have been personally impacted by losses," Louie says.

Louie says her cousin Phyllis Bates was murdered in downtown Williams Lake and that murder has never been solved.

Virginia Gilbert's son, Gerald Supernault was missing in 2008 and then found murdered and that murder has never been solved.

She says the murder of Rosemarie Roper from Alkali/Canoe Creek was eventually solved, but numerous other cases such as the murder of Gloria Moody from Bella Coola have never been solved.

As the group nears he end of their journey the walkers are in need assistance with donations of gas, food, water, walking shoes, socks, outerwear and accommodations, says Heather Baril of Winnipeg who walked with the group for eight hours on Aug. 3. She says anyone wanting to join the group for any distance is also more than welcome.

 

For more information contact Althea Guiboche by e-mail at ohmyguiboche@gmail.com.