Photo of: the Sisters in Spirit Walk in Regina
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
Members of the community participated in the 6th annual Sisters in Spirit Walk for Healing, hosted by the Regina Police Service (RPS), to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The walk began at the mâmawêyatitân centre, continued down Dewdney Avenue and finished at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Headquarters as Jason Littletent and the Kawacatoose Boys led the walk with singing and drumming.
“I was really heartened today to see so many young people out today, really raising awareness of the issue and I think committing for us to do better in the future,” said RPS Chief Davies.
Over 50 names of murdered or missing women and girls were read aloud today at The Place of Reflections, an outdoor stone medicine wheel located on the grounds beside the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina.
“We read the names of every missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girl, two-spirit individual and there are far too many names on that list,” said RPS Chief Davies. “Unfortunately, violence towards that community continues to this day, and so it really is an issue that we need to continue to word towards. We need women and girls and two-spirit people to feel safe in our community and sadly that is not the current state that we’re in.”
Photo of: Michele Bear laying a rose down in honour of her daughter
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
Michele Bear, from the Standing Buffalo First Nation, participated in the walk in honour of her daughter, Richele Lee Bear, who was reported missing on September 5, 2013, and was last seen on August 9, 2013.
Her remains have never been found, and she is considered a victim of homicide.
“(This walk), It brings back the hope that maybe one day Richele will be found and brought home and the more people I let know about the situation, the more awareness brings it and hopefully one day she will be brought home,” said Bear.
Clayton Bo Eichler was charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death, as well as the murder of another Indigenous woman, Kelly Goforth. Eichler pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2016 and is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
Jennet McGillis also attended the walk in memory of her daughter, Sarah McGillis, who was murdered in August of this year. Charges have been laid in connection with her death, and the case remains before the courts.
“I am walking for my daughter Sarah, but not only Sarah,” said McGillis. “There are a lot of families here that I know, a lot of young girl’s names were called I know. I am not only walking for my daughter, but for all the people that are gathered here and all the sisters that have been lost, and not only the sisters, there are a lot of our men that have been lost too.”
Her daughter left behind three daughters and two grandchildren.
McGillis wants to bring awareness about the violence going on with firearms.
“There’s a lot more guns that she was shot with, they shouldn’t even be on the street those guns that were involved with her shooting,” said McGillis. “Something has to be done with the violence and all the guns. It must be stopped somehow.”