Annually on February 14th, people come together to remember and march in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

This march began in 1992 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. As a population that is disproportionately affected by gendered and colonial violence, this day serves as a reminder of the legacy of colonization and the need to heal through truth and reconciliation. It is also a day to let these spirits know they are not forgotten.

As an institution located on the site of a former residential school with a mandate to serve the needs of Indigenous communities and promote cross-cultural learning, Algoma University stands beside everyone impacted directly or indirectly by what has been called a national tragedy. This day calls for everyone to remember our treaty relationships as we work towards the vision of supporting community and Indigenous solutions to address the gendered and colonial nature of the violence Indigenous communities face.

As an institution, we reaffirm our commitment to embracing the recommendations from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and  the Calls to Justice in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Through the application of the Seven Grandfather Teachings, we would also like to continue to promote the mutual recognition, mutual respect, sharing, and mutual responsibility to create safe spaces of learning and engagement for the Algoma University community and Anishinaabe communities, and so re-establish the pursuit of justice and human dignity. Through education and engagement, we will continue to address the root causes of the violence against peoples that generate and maintain a world within which Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are forced to survive and thrive on a daily basis. This day also reminds us of the power of resilience, hope and remembering community.