Vigils honour hundreds of missing aboriginal women
Oct 04, 2009 07:26 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Dozens of vigils were held across the country Sunday to remember more than 500 aboriginal women who have vanished in the last three decades and to draw attention to what organizers called a national tragedy.
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"We call for a national plan of action that recognizes the violence faced by aboriginal women because they are aboriginal," organizer Alana Lee said as sweetgrass smoke hung heavy in the air.
"Violence against aboriginal women is too big a problem to ignore."
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"We all have a responsibility that if we see something that we don't approve of, speak up, say something because you never know, that might be the call that actually saves someone's life," she said through tears.
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"It's because of the systemic structures of poverty, colonization and racism."
The Canadian government is unwilling to protect First Nations women from the violence, Reynolds said.