On Wednesday, the community of Portage la Prairie came together for a heartfelt event, the Sisters in Spirit Walk, to raised awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, this annual walk returned with a renewed commitment to addressing a pressing issue that affects Indigenous communities nationwide. 

Daphne Spence, the Insight Program Coordinator, emphasizes the importance of the walk and its broader impact. 

"We're doing a walk from Eagles Fire Youth Centre to the City Hall and then we're coming back," Spence explains. "We have our Lady's drum group that we formed, so we'll be singing a song at City Hall. It's about spreading awareness of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and getting the community involved and recognizing it as a problem." 
 
Chantel Lavallee, an Insight worker for the Portage Friendship Centre, stresses the significance of October 4th. 

"Today[Wednesday] is a day when we honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, support grieving families and create opportunities for healing the violence experienced by Indigenous People in Canada. United, we will demand action on an issue that impacts us all while honouring the lives of our loved ones."

Spence highlighted the importance of addressing intergenerational trauma as well as a jarring statistic; Indigenous women and girls make up only 4 per cent of the female population but account for 16 per cent of all female homicides in Canada. They are five times more likely than non-Indigenous women to die violently. 

The Sisters in Spirit Walk was a reminder of the ongoing struggle to address the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. 

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