By Danielle Dufour:
The 5th annual Sisters in Spirit Walk took place in Regina on Friday, October 3rd.
It is a way to remember the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across the country.
The walk was hosted by the Regina Police Service.
“We walk from the Mamaweyatitan Centre to the Place of Reflection at the RCMP (Heritage Centre),” said Sergeant Windjack.
Families gather there and lay a rose for the missing and murdered women in Regina, while others are welcome to lay a rose for any family members missing from other places, while having a moment of silence, an honour song, and a moment of prayer.
In Regina the RPS has a list of 47 missing and murdered Indigenous women recorded that dates back to the 1970’s.
Sergeant Windjack noted some of the major causes of these cases.
“A lot of it is vulnerabilities, colonialism, impacts of residential schools, all the things they have dealt with throughout history in our country.”
The walk is important to our community.
“This is about protecting them and hoping that we can find those that are still missing and potentially prevent incidents from continuing in the future,” said Sergeant Windjack.
Phyllis Littletent was only 16 years old when she received the news about her aunt’s passing.
“I was the one to actually get the call and was asked what my aunt’s address was, and they told me they found a body there,” said Littletent. “I was in disbelief.”
(PHOTO – Phyllis Littletent holds a photo of her aunt. Photo by Danielle Dufour)
Today Littletent, along with many others, are here to reflect and remember their loved ones.
“I honour Emma Littletent who was murdered back on Oct. 21, 1996,” said Littletent.
No one would want to receive a call like this.
“I remember how hurtful it was to hear that they found a body and how devastating it was to get the news,” said Littletent.
The news about her aunt’s murder came late in the evening.
“I called to her house, and a constable answered the phone, and I asked if my aunt Emma was ok, and they couldn’t give out any information, but they asked me if she had a daughter,” said Littletent.
Emma’s daughter was five years old at the time of the murder. She is now 32 years old and was adopted by Phyllis’s family. “She was raised as our little sister.”
“When I asked if I could talk to my aunt so I could know if she was ok, the Police continued to say they could not give me any information and they wanted to know if the daughter was in a safe place,” said Littletent.
Phyllis called her dad, and he went to go check things out.
He called about an hour later and confirmed it was aunt Emma that had been murdered. He identified the body as his sister-in-law.
The police eventually caught the assailant.
He pleaded insanity and serviced only three and a half years in prison.
“That is all he got, but to us he took a beautiful spirit away from our family,” said Littletent. “Justice was not served.”
After the murderer’s release, he was walking free.
“He did approach us eight years after with an elder, they came and knocked at my mom’s door and he was trying to apologize with a pack of smokes,” said Littletent.
“My aunt Agnus Littletent told him a pack of smokes is not going to bring our sister back, a mother back, and we do not accept it,” said Littletent.
This was the first time her family has refused tobacco.
“Still to this day it hurts us, so even though it happened in 1996, it still affects our family today,” said Littletent.
The family is always remembering her and honouring her spirit.
“She was such as beautiful, kind, loving mother, aunty and sister,” said Littletent.
“Today I prayed as we were walking and singing, as our Elders teach us, for her and thanked her for allowing us to do this and asked her to look down on us and continue to guide us from up above,” said Littletent.
(Top Photo – the Sisters in Spirit walk in Regina. Photo by Danielle Dufour)