'A situation where it calls for action': Vigil held for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls
Hundreds gathered in front of Lethbridge city hall Monday evening before marching to Galt Gardens for the Sisters in Spirit vigil.
The event honours the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) and supports families who have dealt with the loss of loved ones due to violence.
Organizers and participants say it means a lot to see how much the event has grown over the past 15 years.
"Every year it seems to be getting bigger with the support we're getting from the community," said Wendy English, a resolution health support worker and the vigil's emcee.
"It's part of reconciliation, it's supporting each other and helping each other and coming together as brothers and sisters. We're all one."
English says two of her grandchildren were murdered in Lethbridge seven years ago.
She says prayer has been what's gotten her and her loved ones through the tough times.
"Prayer's are so powerful," she told CTV News.
"For all the prayers to continue throughout the world, for all the people that are still missing and for closure for some of the family members."
According to the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous women make up 16 per cent of all female homicide victims and 11 per cent of all missing women, even though Indigenous people only make up 4.6 per cent of Canada's population.
Vigils like the one in Lethbridge, and the many others that took place across Canada, are meant to keep the issue at the forefront.
"It shines a light on what's been happening in Canada," said Sheldon Day Chief, one of the vigil's participants and drummers.
"It's a situation where it calls for action."
The vigil also honoured members of the 2SLGBTQQIA community who have been lost as well.
For the families of all those lost, the growing support home and nationwide brings them hope for action and justice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.