Here are a few pictures of some of the events that took place in the last month: Meeting of the minds, the hearts and the raised fists! Scroll down to the previous post for more information about our closing event, tomorrow on Parliament Hill. Join Families of Sisters in Spirit so we can open: 365 DAYS OF JUSTICE TOGETHER!
Thank you
Hello everyone,
First, thanks to all the people and communities who showed their amazing support for this campaign. Organized by Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS) and our allies, this campaign aimed to bring together families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, grassroots Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women and men, and the wider Ottawa community to raise critical awareness, support Aboriginal families affected by violence, and demand justice and accountability in the disappearances and murders of more than 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada in recent decades.
The last month was filled with events that connected different issues, communities and people, all in the name of raising awareness for the national tragedy of our missing and murdered Indigenous women. Among many things, we talked of prison justice, of sexual violence and violence against women, of sex work and the sex work rights movement, chatted about the power of testimonials with Vancouver-based organizers, welcomed Walk4Justice and even took part in a social justice themed scavenger hunt.
Now, this week is the closing week of Families of Sisters in Spirit’s 30 Days of Justice. That said, FSIS is not going anywhere. We will be continuing our tireless work to support families, advocate, rattle the cage and raise critical awareness, and that, year round. Look out for us on the FSIS facebook page for updates about our activities. We have a voice and we will be using it.
Please come out and support us for these two very important events:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3rd: MISSING AND MURDERED ABORIGINAL WOMEN; A PANEL WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
As a part of ’30 Days of Justice’, Families of Sisters in Spirit, in collaboration with POWER, ACO and Somerset West Community Health Center, will be hosting a panel discussion on the disappearance and murders of Aboriginal Women in Canada. This is a panel with family members who will come and talk of their own experiences in regards to this grave and urgent national issue.
The panel will be from 6pm to 9pm at the Somerset West Community health Center. (55 Eccles in Chinatown – Corner Booth and Somerset, turn left on Booth).
The speakers are:
Laurie Odjick, mother of Maisy Odjick, 16, who disappeared Sept. 5
2008 with her best friend Shannon Alexander, 17 from Kitigan Zibi;
Pam and Fred Fillier, parents of Hilary Bonnell, 16, who was murdered
in Burnt Church, New Brunswick in November 2009
Sue Martin, mother of Terrie Ann Dauphinais, 24, who was murdered in her home outside Calgary in April 2002;
Bridget Tolley, daughter of Gladys Tolley who was struck and killed by a Surete du Quebec police car in October 2001.
Sandra Augustine from Elsipotog, New Brunswick, will come to talk about the Blanket Project.
This is the opening event for the annual Families of Sisters in Spirit’s vigil for missing and murdered Aboriginal women that will be taking place the next day on Parliament Hill.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4th: ANNUAL FAMILIES OF SISTERS IN SPIRIT VIGIL
Families of Sisters in Spirit is hosting the closing event for ’30 Days of Justice’, the annual Families of Sisters in Spirit vigil, a part of the national network of Sisters in Spirit vigils happening across the country on October 4th. So far 48 vigils are planned.
This is the 6th Annual ‘Sisters in Spirit’ vigil for missing and murdered Aboriginal women, girls, and their families.
Tuesday October 4th 2011, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
October 4th Agenda:
10:30 AM – 12 PM: vigil on Parliament Hill—family members, politicians, reading of 2011 Joint Statement by Caitlin Tolley
12PM Solidarity March to Victoria Island
12:30PM: Honor Ceremony for Terrie-Ann Dauphinais, who was murdered in 2002, led by her mother, Sue Martin on Victoria Island.
12:45 – onward: Food and festivities on Victoria Island.
Festivities on Victoria Island include drumming, jingle dress dancing, social justice tabling, blanket workshop with Sandra & Harry Augustine, writing messages of support and solidarity with family members, and banners from the KAIROS Roll with the Declaration march, food by Amnesty International, raffling of art pieces
For information about Sisters in Spirit vigils happening across Canada visit: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163367953739707
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR SUPPORT, YOUR WORK, YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR TEARS, YOUR RESISTANCE. ’30 DAYS OF JUSTICE 2011′
Hi all,
We are entering the last stretch of Families of Sisters in Spirit’s ’30 Days of Justice’. Last week, Walk4Justice was in Ottawa and it was an honor to walk the last stretch of their trek across Canada to reach Parliament Hill.
Thank you for the wonderful support for this important campaign.
The last month has been packed with important events, discussions, people and opportunities to accompany one another, to raise critical awareness, support Aboriginal families affected by violence, and demand justice and accountability in the disappearances and murders of more than 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada in recent decades.
Next week, Families of Sisters in Spirit is hosting the closing event for ’30 Days of Justice’, the annual Families of Sisters in Spirit vigil, part of the national network of Sisters in Spirit vigils happening across the country on October 4th. Please scroll down for more information and share widely.
(*) Check out this link for the Amnesty International petition entitled Canada must stop violence against Indigenous women.
http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=741&type=Internal
NDP MP Paul Dewar will be reading them into Parliament so we want as many signatures as possible!
THIS WEEK:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th:Indigenous Women, Two-Spirit People, and Resistance to Police Violence and Prisons: A panel discussion
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: McNabb Community Centre
180 Percy St.
Wheelchair Accessible
Speakers:
Tania Dopler, Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy
Kim Pate, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
Three other speakers from the Elisabeth Fry Society to speak to their experience of the Correctional Justice System
This event will focus on the violence experienced by Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people by the police and prisons, their resistance to this violence and alternatives to both the police and prisons.
“Aboriginal women are over‐represented in the federal correctional system, representing only 2% of women in Canada and 29% of women in federal prisons in July, 2003. In July, 2003, 60% of Aboriginal women serving federal sentences were in prison.”
“Native peoples’ experiences are often completely erased from mainstream discussions of law enforcement violence. Yet, since the arrival of the first colonists on this continent, Native women and Native Two Spirit, transgender and gender nonconforming people have been subjected to untold violence at the hands of U.S. military forces, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement. Movement of Native peoples across borders with Canada and Mexico has been severely restricted, often by force, separating families and communities. Integral to the imposition of colonial society and enforced assimilation, the notion of “policing” was forced on sovereign nations and cultures that had previously resolved disputes within communities.”
“Developing community-based responses to violence is one critical option. Community accountability is a community-based strategy, rather than a police/prison-based strategy, to address violence within our communities. Community accountability is a process in which a community – a group of friends, a family, a church, a workplace, an apartment complex, a neighborhood, etc – work together to do the following things:
Create and affirm VALUES & PRACTICES that resist abuse and oppression and encourage safety, support, and accountability
Develop sustainable strategies to ADDRESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS’ ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, creating a process for them to account for their actions and transform their behavior
Commit to ongoing development of all members of the community, and the community itself, to TRANSFORM THE POLITICAL CONDITIONS that reinforce oppression and violence
Provide SAFETY & SUPPORT to community members who are violently targeted that RESPECTS THEIR SELF-DETERMINATION”
Click to access 5676_toolkitrev-native.pdf
http://www.incite-national.org/index.php?s=114
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th: Survival Strength Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside (MOVIE NIGHT and DISCUSSION with Harsha Walia)
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: SAW Gallery
67 Nicholas St.
Join us for the screening of the amazing documentary ‘Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside’
Fundraiser for Families of Sisters in Spirit
Sliding scale $5-$20 (Pay what you can, nobody turned away)
The movie is in English and has English subtitles
After the film, we are delighted to have an online conversation with one of the film-makers, Harsha Walia.
With special guests: Sandra & Harry Augustine from ‘Hands are for Hugging not Hitting’ who will share their personal stories of survival and strength and their ‘blanket workshop’.
Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside is a short film that documents the 20 year history of the annual women’s memorial march for missing and murdered women in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories. By focusing on the voices of women who live, love, and work in the Downtown Eastside this film debunks the sensationalism surrounding a neighbourhood deeply misunderstood, and celebrates the complex and diverse realities of women organizing for justice.
This 32 minute film, by Alejandro Zuluaga and Harsha Walia, is based on a concept by the Downtown Eastside Power of Women Group. This is a not-for-profit production that is available for free distribution under creative commons license. For more information, to book a screening, or to order a DVD please contact hwalia8@gmail.com or alejo.zuluag@gmail.com.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th: FSIS presence at ‘Andrea Smith on Violence against Native Women and Struggles for Land’
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
H-110, Concordia University Hall Building
1455 De Maisonneuve Ouest
Montreal, QC
Organized by 2110 Gender Advocacy Centre , Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Missing Justice-Montreal), *A CKUT co-sponsorship*
–Andrea Smith on Systemic Violence against Native Women and First Nations Land Struggles: Making the Links–
Andrea Lee Smith is a Cherokee intellectual, feminist, and anti-violence activist. Her work focuses on issues of violence against women of color and their communities, and Native American women in particular.
Smith is the co-founder of: INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence–a national grassroots organization that engages in direct action and critical dialogue; the Boarding School Healing Project–which seeks to document Native boarding school abuses so that Native communities can begin healing and demand justice; and the Chicago chapter of Women of All Red Nations. The experiences of women of color are central to both her activism and her academic work. She has worked as a rape crisis counselor, has published widely on issues of violence against women of color and is generally considered a leading expert on the topic.
In 2005, Smith was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize “as a woman who works daily for peace” in recognition of her research and work regarding violence against women of color in the US.
Once an assistant professor of American Culture and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan, Andrea Smith is presently an associate professor in the Department of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California.
Childcare available with 48 hours notice // Wheelchair accessible space. // Whisper translation to French available on site.
Event is free of cost. Show up early to guarantee space!
More info: www.missingjustice.ca // http://www.centre2110.org
Contact: campaigns@centre2110.org // promotions@centre2110.org // justiceformissing@gmail.com
___________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK FIVE: COMING UP
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3rd: MISSING AND MURDERED ABORIGINAL WOMEN: A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
As a part of ’30 Days of Justice’, Families of Sisters in Spirit, in collaboration with POWER, ACO and Somerset West Community Health Center, will be hosting a panel discussion on the disappearance and murders of Aboriginal Women in Canada. This is a panel with family members who will come and talk of their own experiences in regards to this grave and urgent national issue.
Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women – A panel with family members
Families of Sisters in Spirit is hosting a panel with family members on the disappearance and murders of Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, the evening before the annual Families of Sisters in Spirit Vigil, part of the nation wide Sisters in Spirit vigil network.
SPEAKERS
Laurie Odjick, mother of Maisy Odjick, 16, who disappeared Sept. 5 2008 with her best friend Shannon Alexander, 17 from Maniwaki, Quebec;
Pam and Fred Fillier, parents of Hilary Bonnell, 16, who was murdered in Burnt Church, New Brunswick in November 2009;
Sue Martin, mother of Terrie Ann Dauphinais, 24, who was murdered in her home outside Calgary in April 2002;
Bridget Tolley, daughter of Gladys Tolley who was struck and killed by a Surete du Quebec police car in October 2001;
Sandra and Harry Augustine, from Elsipotog, NB will talk about the ‘Blanket Project’.
Date: Monday, October 3rd 2011
Time: 6pm to 9pm
Location: Somerset West Community Health Center – 55 Eccles, in Chinatown, near Somerset West and Booth Street.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4th: THE ANNUAL FAMILIES OF SISTERS IN SPIRIT VIGIL
6th Annual ‘Sisters in Spirit’ vigil for missing and murdered Aboriginal women, girls, and their families
Tuesday October 4th 2011, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
October 4th Agenda:
11:00 AM – 12 PM vigil on Parliament Hill—family members, politicians, reading of 2011 Joint Statement
12PM Solidarity March to Victoria Island
12:30PM onwards, Festivities and feast at Victoria Island.
Festivities on Victoria Island include drumming, jingle dress dancing, social justice tabling, blanket workshop with Sandra & Harry Augustine, writing messages of support and solidarity with family members, and banners from the KAIROS Roll with the Declaration march, and much more!
For information about Sisters in Spirit vigils happening across Canada visit: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163367953739707
MORE DETAILS WILL BE POSTED THIS WEEK in regards to the vigil and the feast.
Hello everyone,
We are now about to enter week three of Families of Sisters in Spirit’s ’30 Days of Justice’.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th: WALK 4 JUSTICE
Tomorrow is a very important date in our campaign as we will be welcoming the walkers from Walk4Justice to accompany them in the last miles of their walk towards their final destination, Parliament Hill.
On June 21, 2011, Walk4Justice began their long walk from Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory to Ottawa, Algonquin Territory to raise awareness about the plight of the far too many (over 3000) missing and murdered Indigenous women across Turtle Island (Canada).
*On Monday, September 19*, they will be ending their walk at Parliament Hill where they will continue demanding justice for these women and their families.
Please come out and show your support for the walkers. Bring your banners,
signs or placards and good spirit to the rally!
*March & Rally*
*Monday, September 19
**9am at Minwaashin Lodge (424 Catherine St), 10am Parliament Hill*
The walk will start promptly at 9am
Please join the walkers at Minwaashin Lodge and walk with them to
Parliament Hill. If you can’t make it then, please come to the rally on
Parliament Hill at 10am.
In the evening, another event is set to take place:
Feast and fundraiser for Walk 4 Justice to Ottawa on September 19th, 2011 at 5:00 pm.
Community celebration, feast, entertainment, and fundraiser! Featuring Walk 4 Justice co-founders Gladys Radek & Bernie Williams and Beverley Jacobs from Families of Sisters in Spirit.
Feast provided by First Unitarian Church and Food not Bombs (vegan options).
The Line-up:
Elaine Kicknosway and her son Theland: Drummer and Hoop dancer
Nancy Myatt: Nancy is a Mohawk from Kahnesatake with Algonquin. Her family lives in Kitigan Zibi. She is a traditional dancer and drummer. She has two daughters and a granddaughter arriving in November. She has supported Take Back the Night and Sisters in Spirit by sharing songs in her culture. She is very happy to support and be involved in this cause because her great grandmother was also murdered as well.
Vera Wabegijig: Vera is a poet and Anishnaabe mother from the bear clan who writes for expression and to connect with the larger world. See Vera’s gift to us: http://verawaabegeeshig.wordpress.com/
Sandy Scofield: Sandy is a multi-award winning composer, musician and singer. She has studied classical, jazz, African, Indonesian gamelan and electro-acoustic music. A Métis from the Saulteaux and Cree Nations, she hails from four generations of fiddlers, singers and musicians. Among her four recordings to date, she has won five Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, a Canadian Folk Music Award, an Indian Summer Music Award (U.S.A.), a Western Canadian Music Award and received three consecutive Juno nominations. Check out her web site: http://sandyscofield.com/
Elizabeth Riley Band: Ottawa-based Elizabeth Riley Band has a raw, contagious sound, with original songs and interpretations inspired by bluegrass, folk classics, and alt and traditional country music. Wielding banjo, acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, djembe, stand-up snare, these four singer-songwriters speak out about personal, social and political realities. Their songs are infused with women’s lived experience. Vocally driven with an electrified edge, Elizabeth Riley Band has captivated audiences at an eclectic range of venues. For a taste of their music: http://www.elizabethrileyband.com/
Jaime Koebel: Jamie is Metis from Lac La Biche, Alberta. She is an artist, a performer, an educator and a public speaker. As a successful visual artist, she has been fortunate to have works that have been showcased world-wide and held in many prestigious personal and public galleries. Her art reflects fantastical plant life – all with a story! As a performance artist, She was a dancer with the well-known troupe, Jig on the Fly for five years until 2010 when she started a new dance group with her children called Jaime and the Jiglets. She also dances with the musical group, Fiddle Ground. Over the years, She has won many individual dance competitions in Canada and the United States. See her fantastic works: http://www.JaimeKoebel.com/
Please join us for this very important day to support the walkers and our families
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st: NO MEANS NO Panel Discussion with Families of Sisters in Spirit
Families of Sisters in Spirit will be speaking as a part of University of Ottawa’s ‘NO MEANS NO: Ending sexual and gender based violence’ week.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Families of Sisters in Spirit – Why Missing? Vol 2
Set Up:
12:30 pm
Start Time:
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
End Time:
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Fee:
FREE (donations welcomed)
Catered:
Tea & light snacks
Location:
Atrium, 4th floor University Centre
Families of Sisters in Spirit is a volunteer grassroots non-profit organization by and for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, with support of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. FSIS was the vision of Bridget Tolley, an Algonquin grandmother and activist from the Kitigan Zibi First Nation whose mother was killed by a Quebec provincial (SQ) police car in 2001. Along with Mohawk leader Beverley Jacobs from Six Nations Grand River Territory, whose cousin Tashina General and her unborn son were murdered in 2008, and non-Aboriginal doctoral student and activist Kristen Gilchrist the work of FSIS began in January 2011. FSIS is based in Ottawa, Ontario on unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples. We raise critical awareness about violence against Aboriginal women and girls as well as wider issues like Indigenous sovereignty, poverty, colonialism, struggles for reproductive justice, and sex worker’s rights which are inextricably linked to more than 600 missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd: TAKE BACK THE NIGHT – Families of Sisters in Spirit Presence and Tabling
As part of ’30 Days of Justice’, Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS) will be present at this year’s Take Back the Night march in Ottawa. Maria Jacko, aunt of Maisy Odjick who disappeared along with her best friend Shannon Alexander from Maniwaki Quebec in September 2008, will be speaking on behalf of FSIS.
More info about Take Back the Night, SAFE STREET – SAFE WOMEN
Thursday September 22, 2011
6:00PM – 9:00PM
Minto Park
6:00PM – Rally in front of the Women’s Monument with speakers, Aboriginal drummers and followed by an Ottawa RebELLES cheer to set the mood to start up the march.
6:45PM – The march will start out from Minto Park, march up Elgin, along
Wellington/Rideau, around a piece of the Byward Market and then back to City hall. An accessible bus will be available.
7:30PM – The march ends at City Hall where there will be an Information Fair as well as refreshments and entertainment for participants to enjoy.
*Men are welcome to show support and solidarity with women and children by marching behind them *
For more information, call 613-230-6700 or email communityevents@wiseottawa.ca
Hello everyone,
First, thank you for the wonderful support for this important campaign.
Last week was packed with important events, discussions, people and opportunities to accompany one another, to raise critical awareness, support Aboriginal families affected by violence, and demand justice and accountability in the disappearances and murders of more than 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada in recent decades.
Second, this week is also filled with important events. This week is also dedicated to gearing up for the arrival of Walk4Justice, the walkers reaching Ottawa next Monday for a full day of marching and of gathering on the Hill which will end with a feast doubling as a fundraiser. Please scroll down for more information about Walk4Justice and next Monday’s schedule.
This week:
TUESDAY (SEPT 13th): ‘Make a difference for This Generation of First Nations Children’ – A public lecture by Cindy BlackStock
*Families of Sisters in Spirit will be present at this important event but it is hosted by the Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education and the Graduate Students’ Association*
This lecture will start at 7pm – 8:30 pm, at Carleton University, 208 Tory Building
A member of the Gitksan Nation, she has worked in the field of child and family services for over 20 years. An author of over 50 publications, her key interests include exploring, and addressing, the causes of disadvantage for Aboriginal children and families by promoting equitable and culturally based interventions.
Grand Entry: 12:00pm
Giveaway: 5:30pm
Cost: Pay-what-you-can ($5 recommended). Funds raised will go towards our Annual Indigenous Graduates Honouring Ceremony
Emcee: Mista Wasis Greg Dreaver
Elder: Thomas Louttit
Host Drum: Kitchisippi rini
Invited Drum: Bear Nation
Invited Drum: Golden-Eye
Head Dancers: Faith Decontie and David Charette
For more information contact Irvin Hill at (613) 520-2600 ext. 6576 or email irvin_hill@carleton.ca
On June 21, 2011, Walk4Justice began their long walk from Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory to Ottawa, Algonquin Territory to raise awareness about the plight of the far too many (over 3000) missing and murdered Indigenous women across Turtle Island (Canada). *On Monday, September 19*, they will be ending their walk at Parliament Hill where they will continue demanding justice for these women and their families.
Please come out and show your support for the walkers. Bring your banners,
signs or placards and good spirit to the rally!
*March & Rally*
*Monday, September 19
**9am at Minwaashin Lodge (424 Catherine St), 10am Parliament Hill*
Please join the walkers at Minwaashin Lodge at 9am and walk with them to
Parliament Hill. If you can’t make it then, please come to the rally on
Parliament Hill at 10am.
*Feast and Fund-raiser *
*Monday, September 19
**5:30pm at Mac Hall on 211 Bronson Ave.*
Community celebration, feast, entertainment, and fundraiser! Featuring
Walk4Justice co-founders Gladys Radek & Bernie Williams and Beverley Jacobs
from Families of Sisters in Spirit. Headliners for the performance: Elaine
Kicknosway, Nancy Myatt, Vera Wabegijig, Sandy Scofield, Elizabeth Riley
Band and Jamie Koebel!
MONDAY: Families of Sisters in Spirit and their allies will have a presence at the Labour day rally on Monday, Sept. 5th. Look for the “Families of Sisters in Spirit” banner.
* Sept 5th also marks the beginning of FSIS’s ’30 Days of Justice’. ’30 Days of Justice’ is a series of events and actions designed to raise awareness and demand action to end violence against Indigenous women*
SEPT 5th, noon to 4:30
Families of Sisters in Spirit presence at Labour Day March
City Hall to McNabb Park
TUESDAY: Vigil for Maisy and Shannon organized by Maria Jacko and Laurie Odjick
by Woodland school up to Nagishkodadiwin Park across from the Chateau Logue Hotel. 6pm to 8pm
Families of Sisters in Spirit, the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, Maggie’s and POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa Work Educate and Resist) invite you to an evening panel on the sex worker’s rights movement and Indigenous communities. We want to offer a space for honest discussions about sex work and the movement for decriminalization.
Some themes for the evening
1. Various voices in Indigenous communities re: decriminalization of sex work
2. Debunking some of the myths
3. Sex workers’ rights movement – highlighting the Indigenous presence, the work having been done, the successes, the clashes.
4. Critiques of the mainstream sex workers’ rights movement
5. Allies and consensual allyship
6. Moving forward in activism around these issues
The speakers:
Moderator: Jessica Yee – Native Youth Sexual Health Network and Maggie’s Aboriginal Sex Work Education Outreach Project
Maurganne Mooney – Maggie’s Aboriginal Sex Work Education Outreach Project
Monica Forrester – Maggie’s Aboriginal Sex Work Education Outreach Project
Tania Dopler – Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy
Joanne Dallaire, Elder
The Women’s Resource Centre at the University of Ottawa is having their annual 101 week Take Back the Night on Thursday September 8th from 6pm-7pm. Families of Sisters in Spirit will be there with their banners. Come join us and walk to raise awareness about missing and murdered aboriginal women.
The WRC puts on an annual TBTN during 101 week, which is our campus orientation week for new first years, because we see the importance of starting off the year with strong messaging around a zero-tolerance approach to gendered violence and sexual violence on our campus, and in our communities more broadly.
Join for some amazing speakers on campus and then march with us from campus to the Human Rights Monument where we will conclude with the rest of our fabulous speakers.
FRIDAY: ALT 101 – University of Ottawa’s Social Justice Fair – Families of Sisters in Spirit table
When: 3-7pm
Location: Grande Alley on the University of Ottawa Campus
“This is a chance to check out a bunch of groups working on different social justice movements on campus and in town. Find out more bout them and how to get involved. Also, check out our scavenger hunt with awesome prizes!”
Families of Sisters in Spirit, along with other grassroots organizations working in Ottawa, will be tabling at this event to introduce ourselves, our work, what we demand to Ottawa University Students. We will be distributing material as well as speaking with students and participants. Come and see us.
AND
Families of Sisters in Spirit will be at the Aboriginal Lounge, Carleton University at 11:30 am to talk about 30 Days of Justice.
Located in Tory Building, T27 (tunnel level)
Hi everyone,
here are some updates about the events taking place during 30 days of justice.
On September 6th (not 5th) at 6pm, there will be a vigil for Maisy and Shannon. It will be happening in Kitigan Zibi, at the Home Hardware store, 79 Kichi Mikan, Maniwaki, Quebec.
On the 5th, Families of Sisters in Spirit will be present during the Labour Day March starting at City Hall and finishing at McN…abb Park. Noon to 4:30.
Movie night has been moved to the 28th of September and will be happening at SAW Gallery, 7pm. 67 Nicholas Street. It will be a showing of ‘Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside’.
Come and meet us when we welcome Walk4Justice on the 19th. We will be marching from from Minwaashin Lodge, 424 Catherine St. at 9am to Parliament Hill 10-3
Feast and fundraiser at Bronson Center in the evening, 211 Bronson ave. – 5pm
Organized by Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS) * and our allies, ‘30 Days of Justice’ brings together families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, grassroots Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women and men, and the wider Ottawa community to raise critical awareness, support Aboriginal families affected by violence, and demand justice and accountability in the disappearances and murders of more than 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada in recent decades.
(*Families of Sisters in Spirit is a volunteer, grassroots, non-profit organization led by families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women based in Ottawa, Ontario, unceded Algonquin territory.)
Here, you will find information on the events that will be taking place during ’30 Days of Justice’. We will be updating this page as soon and as often as more details become available about the events that will be hosted by FSIS and our allies. This page will also be used to post some resources and links regarding our activities and the issues we work on. Stay tuned.
30 Days of Justice :
SEPT 5TH
3RD Anniversary Vigil for Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander
KITIGAN ZIBI/MANIWAKI,QC
SEPT 7TH
PANEL DISCUSSION ‘The Sex Workers’ Rights Movement and Indigenous Communities’
Odawa Native Frienship Center, 12 Stirling ave, 6-9pm
SEPT 9th
ALT 101 WEEK at University of Ottawa – SOCIAL JUSTICE FAIR
University of Ottawa campus – 3-7pm
SEPT 19TH
WALK4JUSTICE MARCH, RALLY, FEAST, FUNDRAISER
From Minwaashin Lodge, 424 Catherine St. at 9am to Parliament Hill 11-3
Feast and fundraiser at Bronson Center, 211 Bronson ave. – 5pm
SEPT. 21ST
PANEL FOR NO MEANS NO WEEK AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY
Wednesday September 21st 1pm -3pm
SEPT 22ND
FSIS PRESENCE AT TAKE BACK THE NIGHT MARCH
Minto Park, Corner of Elgin and Gilmour, 6-9pm
SEPT 27th
ABORIGINAL WOMEN & PRISONER JUSTICE – a community gathering and discussion
IPSMO (Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Ottawa) and FSIS
Details TBA
SEPT 29TH
FILM NIGHT: Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside
Shanghai Restaurant, 651 Somerset st – 7pm
OCTOBER 3RD
PANEL DISCUSSION WITH FAMILY MEMBERS: On the disappearance and murders of Aboriginal Women in Canada / FSIS in collaboration with the Women’s resource Center and POWER
University of Ottawa, 6-9pm
OCT. 4TH
Families of Sisters in Spirit annual Vigil (former Sisters in Spirit vigil)
Location and time TBA
30daysofjustice 