The 5th annual Moose Hide Campaign saw dozens of men, women and children attend at the Dutch Lake Community Centre May 12, to recognize the Indigenous women, children and two-spirited people who have been murdered or have gone missing.
“My heart is full,” said Cindy Wilgosh, organizer of the campaign, at the start of the evening.
Many speakers stood at the podium throughout the night, which was led my emcee John Thomas, the chief administrative officer for the District of Clearwater.
Among the speakers were RCMP Sgt. Grant Simpson, who spoke about the relationship between the RCMP and the Moose Hide Campaign since 2011, Dr. Richard Oudin, who touched on how health care disproportionately affects Indigenous women and girls, especially in rural and remote areas, as well as members of the community, who shared their thoughts and stories of violence.
“The Moose Hide Campaign is a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence for women and children,” he said. “Today, we stand with them in solidarity.”
Next to the podium was Brigette MacDougall, who led the group through the Women’s Warrior Song. But before the group performed, MacDougall explained what the song was about, its origin and why it’s sung.
The Women’s Warrior Song, she said, is sung to honour all the women — aunties, sisters, grandmothers, mothers — “who play an important role in our lives and those who have passed on.” The song was gifted by Martina Pierre of the Lil’wat Nation.
The evening was guided by a presentation put together by Thomas, and in it had the names of each speaker, but also a Jeopardy-style game to provide statistics and information about the Moose Hide Campaign.
According to the campaign’s website, the Moose Hide campaign began in 2011 when founder Paul Lacerte and his daughter, Raven, were hunting along Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, also known as the Highway of Tears due to the number of Indigenous women who have gone missing along that stretch of road.
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