First Nations Voice

AUGUST 2015 • PAGE 7 By Trevor Greyeyes I haven't been to all the No Stone Unturned Concerts but like many in Winnipeg's indigenous community it has become an annual event not to be missed. T o be honest, I don't attend for the entertainment, even though the performances are always great, or a chance to get together as a community. I see so many friends there. Like many in the Indigenous community, I too have been touched personally by cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. For me, it's not an abstraction. And that is also the hardest part of my job as a journalist because I know the pain that a family member or friend is feeling at any vigil or event to honour the missing and murdered women. For the seventh year, Winnipeg's community came together to not only remember the missing and murdered women but offer support. Claudette Osborne-Tyo went missing in July 2008 and her sister Bernadette Smith hasn't stopped looking. Smith said, ""It's estimated, since 1969, that approximately 3,000 women have gone missing or murdered across Canada — including my sister, Claudette." And the entire concert couldn't happen without the support of the many volunteers and donations from concerned people. "This is truly a community made event where many hands help to make it a success. Thank you so much to the entertainers, volunteers, emcees, donors and Hector Leslie Menow for founding this annual concert," Smith said. Hector Menow and the Vultures put on one heck of a set. "We started this concert in a way to help the grieving," said Menow. "I am very happy to be involved and, you know, all the bands playing here donated their time and talents." Hector Menow and The Vultures donate performance to No Stone Unturned Concert. concerT does more Than jusT honour missing and murdered Women become a FosTer ParenT WiTh Ka ni KanichihK! "At Ka Ni Kanichihk we honor the laws of our creator, the knowledge of our ancestors and our responsibility to the children; those that are here now and those still waiting to come – seven generations from now" A t Our Relatives' Place (AORP) is a specialized foster care program for youth 9-17. We take a holistic and culturally consistent approach to child caring. Opening homes in Winnipeg and within 100 kilometers of the city, for youth who are sexually exploited in our community. About 400 children and youth are being sexually exploited on the streets of Winnipeg each year, this statistic includes only the visible sex trade exploitation. Our approach to foster care is an adaption of traditional Aboriginal practices of child protection whereby grandparents, aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers and extended community members step into the role of caregivers for children and youth. AORP is seeking families or individuals who embrace and nurture the spirit of belonging, independence, and healing of children and youth. Aboriginal families are encouraged to apply. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a foster parent please contact Amy or Sabrina at Ka Ni Kanichihk, 455 McDermot Ave, 204-953-5820 or email agraham@kanikanichihk.ca "For the seventh year, Winnipeg's community came together to not only remember the missing and murdered women but offer support."

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