Hundreds of people will gather in Regina November 7, for a four day healing conference for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirited people.
Affected families have called for such a gathering, which is hosted by the Mamawe Gathering Committee.
“For some of the families, it’s the first time they’re coming to something or speaking to the loss of a loved one. I think that’s really important as well,” said spokesperson Danielle Ewenin.
Ewenin is invested in the gathering. Her sister Laney went missing and found dead outside Calgary.
For her talking about experiences with others can reduce barriers.
“It reduces that stigma and the shame and guilt. I know from our own family experience when we started by adding our sister’s name to the list, for years we hadn’t talked about happened. There was a lot of shame and guilt around how she was murdered and how she had lived,” said Ewenin. “It was at a gathering we had went to as a family where there was a moment we had the realization that it wasn’t our fault. It wasn’t the fault of our family. It wasn’t the fault of our parents, though both parents died with that shame and that guilt.”
She said there really is not a forum where families can discuss what they are going through. As part of the four-day conference, Day Two will feature a youth panel discussing how they are affected.
Organizers are still looking for sponsors appealing to First Nations governments for financial contributions to help get people on the waiting list to the conference.
The gathering will be held at Evraz Place.
(Photo courtesy of Mamawe Gathering Facebook.)