Canada’s leading union attends Sisters in Spirit Vigils

Oakville and Ohsweken, Ont. – October 7, 2019 – UFCW Canada recently attended Sisters in Spirit Vigils in Oakville and Ohsweken to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and to demand government action on this important issue.

Every year, Sisters in Spirit Vigils are held on October 4 in various locations across Canada.  They present an opportunity for community members to come together to remember and honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG). Through Indigenous teachings, ceremonies, candlelit vigils, and connections made with the land on which the ceremonies are held, participants renew their commitment to demand real action on violence against Indigenous women and girls.

At the Oakville and Ohsweken vigils, participants emphasized the importance of addressing the findings of the MMIWG Inquiry Report and implementing its Calls for Justice. They also called on Canadians to be a part of the change needed to stop violence against Indigenous women and girls.

Currently, a definitive action plan has yet to be enacted at the federal level, despite the fact that such a plan is desperately needed to address the roots of violence that harm Indigenous women and girls in communities both on and off reserve.

• “As union members fighting for justice in our workplaces and our communities, we know that an injury to one is an injury to all,” says Paul Meinema, the national president of UFCW Canada. “That is why we stand together with communities across the country on October 4 to call on all levels of government to address the recommendations of the MMIWG Inquiry and create a National Action Plan to end violence against Indigenous women and girls.”
   
• As Canada’s leading union, UFCW is committed to achieving Indigenous justice and advancing Indigenous rights in Canada. To learn more about our work in this area here, and to find out how you can advance Reconciliation in your workplace and community, visit UFCW Canada’s Reconciliation webpage. And to learn more about our union’s efforts to end violence against women, visit the UFCW Canada Women and Gender Equity page.