On May 5, approximately 500 people marched the streets of Hope in honour of Indigenous people who were murdered and remain missing to this day — their names displayed on signs, posters, and T-shirts. Many of those in attendance wore red to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People in Canada.
Linda Kay Peters, an Ojibwe and Cree fashion designer and member of Seabird Island Band for over 50 years, spoke at the Memorial Park gathering about one of the victims and the reasoning behind these demonstrations.
“Emily Pike, 14 years old, was found dismembered about a month or so ago. These are not beautiful things to hear but it’s true and that’s why we do these marches.”
Peters shared her lived experiences and highlighted to The Abbotsford News that there are ongoing attempts to create a community-driven search team focused explicitly on Indigenous communities due to the systematic barriers encountered.
The event also brought people together with the resounding drumbeats of Coquihalla Elementary School students, powerful speeches, dancing, and West Shore Canoe Family’s memorable performance.
