The 11^th Annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will be held on Wednesday, February 14^th, 2018. This is an inclusive family event. We welcome people of all ages, genders, cultures, and physical abilities to gather in front of the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse, 426 Queen St. East, from 12:00 – 1:00pm for an open memorial event that will include speeches, songs, prayers, and other expressions of solidarity. We will then march along Queen Street to The Summit, 302 Queen Street East, where lunch will be provided. A sharing circle, facilitated by Elder Dorothy Elie, will facilitate the sharing of personal stories. Information will also be provided for those experiencing violence directly or indirectly.

The Memorial March originated 27 years ago, on February 14, in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The march calls attention to the disproportionately high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women in that neighbourhood.

In the week leading up to the event, we will tie ribbons on trees in downtown Sault Ste Marie, of four different colours that represent the four cardinal directions, reminding us of Anishinaabe teachings about the interconnectedness amongst different peoples, beings, stages of life, and medicines. We will also hang red dresses, following the Red Dress Campaign, which is aimed at remembering, honouring, and grieving those who have passed on or who have gone missing, as well as our quest for answers and an end to this violence. This march is a time to stand in solidarity with the families whose loved ones have gone missing and been murdered across Canada and beyond.