LETHBRIDGE, AB – Going forward, Oct. 4 will permanently be Sisters in Spirit Day in Lethbridge.
By a vote of 8-1 on Tuesday, Council directed the Mayor’s Office to issue a permanent declaration.
“Sisters in Spirit” day was first proclaimed by Lethbridge City Council back in September 2019.
Councillor Belinda Crowson, who brought forward the motion, says the move will help to continue to build relationships and show support for Indigenous women and girls in the community.
Treena Tallow is a co-chair on the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Council. She says the proclamation shows a lot of respect and growth with respect to Indigenous relationships, saying “I see it as a really positive change in helping support our people within the community. I think this is an acknowledgement from City Council that we will continue to address some of the ongoing social issues to help our people thrive in this community.”
“Since the discoveries in Kamloops and at other Residential Schools earlier this year, more and more Lethbridge residents have been trying better understand what truth and reconciliation means to them. This proclamation not only strengthens City Council’s ongoing commitments to honour Indigenous women, girls and the members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, but also serves as a moment around which the community can rally, become more informed and ultimately be better allies.” – Perry Stein, City of Lethbridge Indigenous Relations Advisor
The Sisters in Spirit Vigil honours the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls while also serving as a movement for social change.
It’s been held in Lethbridge for the past 15 years.