Vigils for missing, murdered aboriginal women to be held

Groups across the country will be gathering to remember and honour missing or murdered aboriginal women, including several communities in Yukon.

The Sisters in Spirit campaign, part of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, has dedicated Oct. 4 as a day of vigil and will also hold events in nine provinces including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as the Northwest Territories.

There are more than 582 missing aboriginal women in Canada, according to data released Sisters in Spirit.

Jayla Rousseau-Thomas, who is co-ordinating the vigils in the Yukon, said that includes 29 from the territory.

"That’s more than one per community," she said. "That’s more than one per First Nation. That’s a lot of women who are no longer with us, who’ve been missing or remain missing or are murdered."

In Whitehorse, the women's group will begin its march at the local RCMP detachment.

A joint statement to be read out at the Canada-wide vigils says violence experienced by aboriginal women and girls is a national tragedy that deserves more attention. 

"The disappearance and murder of our aboriginal sisters is felt nationwide, with countless First Nations, Inuit and Métis families and communities grappling with the loss of a loved one and struggling to find answers," it says. 

The Sisters in Spirit vigils started in 2006.

The group held a rally at Parliament Hill in February to call attention to the dangers facing aboriginal women.