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Parliament Hill ceremony honours missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

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In front of Parliament Hill, dove-shaped balloons are released into the night sky, honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two spirit people.

“It’s a healing time for these families and it’s coming together as a community giving them support,” said Carol McBride, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada.

The event was part of the Canada-wide Sisters in Spirit vigils. The ceremony in Ottawa began at the Native Women's Association of Canada's social, cultural and economic innovation centre in Gatineau.

More than a hundred people marched to Parliament Hill, candles in hand.

Gloria Lepine was among the crowd in the capital. For the last 17 years, she's made the cross-country journey from Fort St. John B.C. to share her story.

“Ramona, Shirley, Cynthia, Stacy; these are the names of the people in my community,” she said. “There are 13 missing and murdered women in my little community. That’s why we come and we will come until we find them.”

McBride says the vigil is about honouring the families who suffered too, calling for more action following the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

“Out of 231 calls for action, they have brought 30 of those. Out of the 30, they acted on 16,” said McBride. “I want to call on the federal government to pull up their socks. It’s our families we're talking about. It's genocide.”

The president of the Native Woman's Association of Canada says she will not rest until all the calls for justice have been fulfilled and every Indigenous woman, girl and gender diverse person can walk without fear in this country.  

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