Zephram Tino
Special to the Clearwater Times
The North Thompson Aboriginal Cultural Centre hosted a well-attended seventh annual Moose Hide Campaign event at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 259 on May 16.
Since its founding in 2011, the goal of the campaign has been to end gender-based violence across Canada, and to bring awareness to the staggering rates of violence that happen to Indigenous women.
Many of those in attendance at the ceremony stressed the importance of awareness, and said that there was a strong need for change. Attendees were asked to participate in a quiz, hosted by Cindy Wilgosh, executive director of the North Thompson Aboriginal Cultural Centre Society (NTACCS).
All the questions revolved around facts and statistics of abuse and murders of Indigenous women and children. The idea behind the quiz was to help people realize how little they knew about the subject. Wilgosh then asked the final question, “What can you do in your community to bring change and awareness?” The answers were then collected, to be implemented in the near future.
Following the quiz, Sgt. Grant Simpson of the RCMP delivered an impromptu and heartfelt speech detailing the flaws in the justice system and how it affects the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, as well as the general community.
“As someone who works in the justice system, I would like to see the Crown proceed with convictions more often. It’s frustrating to us, as RCMP officers.”
At the end of the ceremony Wilgosh made a call to action for men and boys to participate in a dry fast from sunrise to sunset next year. At present NTACCS has not set a date, as they are waiting to see if there will be enough interest.
