Lethbridge City Council has made a proclamation, declaring October 4th as “Sisters in Spirit Day.”
The aim is to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Lethbridge.
The motion was brought forward by City Councillor Belinda Crowson. She says the fact of the matter is Indigenous women and girls are 16 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than most others.
“When we uplift the most vulnerable in our community and when we reach out and support each other, it makes the community better for everyone,” says Crowson. “So it doesn’t matter who you are and where you come from, we need to all support each other and make a better future for everyone.”
The local Sisters in Spirit organizing committee has been working for the past 13 years to try and raise awareness of the issue.
Amanda Scout, a member of the Sisters in Spirit Planning Committee, says this proclamation is hugely significant. “It really feels good to have that official recognition and it’s important too.”
Scout notes there are a lot of southern Alberta families affected by this. “This (proclamation) just acknowledges that our leadership in the city knows this is really important and it’s an important step to reconciliation.”
October 4th also coincides with Amnesty International’s Sisters in Spirit Vigil. There will also be a march from City Hall to Galt Gardens with a vigil to take place in the park that evening.