First Nations Voice

SEPTEMBER 2014 • PAGE 3 tOO mAny vigils, wAlks And events I must admit that a little bit of optimism found its way into me walking shoulder to shoulder with over two thousand people on the Vigil/ Walk to Honour Tina Fontaine and Faron Hall. Over the years as a freelance journalist, I have covered too many of these sad gatherings. Presently many people will know the name of Fontaine but I wondered how many people still remember the names of Hillary Wilson or Simone Sanderson or Claudette Osborn- Tyo, to name a few. And I wasn't the only one who noticed the tremendous amount of support for Tina Fontaine's family after her body, wrapped in plastic, was pulled out of the Red River Sunday August 16. Marching along, I had the chance to speak to Bernadette Smith who has held vigils for her missing sister Osborn-Tyo and held concerts for missing and murdered women. In fact, she's been raising awareness for the last six and a half years and greets many mainstream journalists by their first names. Tears began streaming from under her sunglasses to roll down her cheeks as she attempted to compose herself for the question. "I see a lot of new faces here," said Smith. "It's nice to see non-Aboriginal people here because we need our whole community to get involved in this issue because it affects all people. We've got to get together to say enough is enough." The First Nations Voice has always been concerned with the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Back in 2009, I wrote an article about marching from the North End to a vigil at the Manitoba Legislature for Hillary Wilson. That year and into 2010, I wrote a series of articles for the First Nations Voice looking at the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. When I read the c i r c u m s t a n c e s surrounding Tina Fontaine's brief life, I couldn't help but notice a parallel between her and a woman, using the pseudonym Lady K, trying to leave that kind of life. The death of Lady K's mother under tragic circumstance sent her on a downward spiral when she was only 15 as well. After I saw the depth of hurt and despair on my friend's face at a vigil for her murdered daughter, I stopped charging a fee for covering these tragic events. I think it's too easy to blame it on the victims and a risky lifestyle that can be had in the city. Sometimes I wonder about a society that is not only capable of producing someone capable of sexually exploiting a vulnerable young person but to murder that struggling individual as well. It is my fervent hope that I never have to hear the anguished cry of another mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle or friend over a young life that has left us all too soon. PAYMENTS STARTINGAT $ 99 /BW YEAREND CLEARANCE FORDEMPLOYEE PRICING 0% INTEREST 0.A.C. USED CARS STARTINGAT $ 6,000 NO MONEY DOWN O.A.C. EASY 5MINUTE APPROVALPROCESS ALLLEVELS OFCREDIT! 1717 Waverley | sam.melquist@midtown-ford.com midtown-ford.dealerconnection.com INSTANTCREDITAPPROVAL SAMISGOINGTOPROVIDEYOUWHATYOUALREADYKNOWYOUDESERVE SamMelquist 204-296-0079 Thousands participated in the walk from the alexander docks to the forks. lady k in an article from february 2010. derek sinclair expresses his feelings at simone sanderson Vigil in 2012. By Trevor Greyeyes

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