A call for change at eighth annual Take Back the Night

The Take Back the Night march was lead by Chief Lester Anoquot (white flag) and Ron Roote carrying the Eagle Staff.

Hub Staff

Prayers and tobacco where placed in the Sacred Fire as an offering to ancestors to ask for the strength and the power to watch over the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) during the eight annual Sisters in Spirit, Take Back the Night march on October 4 at Saugeen First Nation.

Over 150 people attended the walk that was led by the Saugeen Women’s Group. The crowd began at the Kabaeshiwim Respite Women's Shelter, which recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary, and ended at the Wesley United Church.

Event organizer and Kabaeshiwim’s House Manager Cheryl George said when the walk first began approximately 15 to 20 people would show up but throughout the years Unifor and churches got involved to show their solidarity with the First Nations people.

“We have men walking with us each year now, and each year it grows,” said George as approximately 80 union workers from Unifor disembarked their bus.

“I feel honoured to have our men walk with us. As women we’re supposed to look at our men as protectors, the men who provide, but yet the woman is the leader of the house... and we need our men to stand beside us and support us,” said George. “Right now with what we see today we have so many with us who are joining our walk to support those woman who are missing or murdered and to be able to walk our streets free from fear of someone assaulting us...we need to walk freely down the street as women should.”

As people filled the shelter’s parking lot signs of love, resilience, and calls for action were held by many walkers, with a poster of two missing youths, who should now be in their mid-20s, was held by many more. Maisy Odjick, whose father is from Saugeen First Nation, was a graduate of G.C. Huston Public School, and moved with her mother to Quebec. In 2008, Maisy and her friend Shannon Alexander went missing after a school dance and were never heard from again.

Following their disappearance Maisy’s mother Laurie criticized police involvement and insisted that family members and members of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation were the only people looking out for the missing girls. Nine years later Laurie Odijick is still searching, asking police as recently as July 2017 to search a creek for anything that would help end the investigation. Nothing was found. George said that Laurie herself has organized walks in her area to try to find justice and “to make sure justice is served on their side.”

“No one is truly helping with the search and it’s like it stopped and that’s where it ends,” said George in frustration. “What part of the government is going to help us out?”

She continued. “I believe there are empty promises made, I certainly do. I see nothing moving forward, it’s like we’re going backwards, why are we moving backwards? We’re in a day and age where we know so much more with our justice system, we have professionals out there who know what they're doing so why has it stopped on us? I‘d hate to say it but is it because of who we are as First Nations people? The search doesn't stop when... I’m sorry... a non-native is missing, they're out there, it’s everywhere, it’s all over the TV, but for us it stops. We’ll do a search for a week or two and then we’re done, we’re done. And that’s what I don't like about our justice system right now, it’s failing us, it’s failing the women, it’s failing the families, it’s failing the community as First Nations people.”

Following the march and the Sacred Fire offering, Saugeen First Nation Chief Lester Anoquot welcomed marchers to Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory, and former Chief Vernon Roote delivered a prayer, which followed with the Honour Song delivered by the Saugeen Women’s Hand Drum Group.

White Eagle Women Erna Winter was the keynote speaker for the evening. Winter’s story, living a life of abuse both physically and sexually, lead to a life of numbing the pain through alcohol. As she told her story Winter said she sought help and travelled to a reserve where she was taught the ways of the Ojibway people, finally learning her culture which instilled self-love and the ability to show her love to others. “We were all brought up with pain, with violence, and consciences for being loud... it’s time to speak about our pain... we need love, we need to love one another.” Winter cited the effects that residential schools had on the First Nations communities, and told the crowd that she forgives her abusers, because “they didn't know better”.

“We are the result of our experience,” she said.

Thirteen roses were then laid, each for 100 of the estimated 1,300 MMIW, followed by a naming ceremony for Julie Soloman, Maisy Odjick, and Shannon Alexander.

Event organizer and House Manager at the Kabaeshiwim Respite Women's Shelter, Cheryl George (right), Ciandra Stevens and Kevin Hart Minister of Wesley United Church hold a poster of G.C. Huston graduate Maisy Odjick, and her friend Shannon Alexander who went missing a decade ago in Quebec, at the seventh annual Take Back the Night march October 4.

The Saugeen Women Hand Drum Group played throughout the march October 4.

White Eagle Woman (Erna Winter) tells her story of the trials and tribulations in her life and her story of forgiveness and love.

Following personal prayers and a sacred tobacco ceremony, walkers marched onto the Wesley United Church for a welcome to the territory by Chief Lester Anoquot.