Slightly fewer than 50 people slowly walked up and down South Dogwood Street Monday to draw attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Many dressed in red, and held signs. Some drummed and all sang. The Women’s Memorial March has been an annual event in Vancouver for 31 years, and has spread to many cities and towns across the province.
While spirits were high, local organizer Montah Nadine McGee, said she wishes the march was no longer necessary.
“Our hope is that we won’t have to walk any more,” she said. “We don’t want to walk. It’s not a fun run. We want to bring our women home, and we want them safe.”
McGee explained the cultural significance of honouring those who have died. “The spirit of our ancestors is a huge part of who we are,” she said. “We want to bring them forward in a good way where they know that they’re not forgotten. Everything crosses over to the spirit world. All our intentions, all of our prayers, all of our hopes.”