Vigil calls for collective action against gender-based violence

“Violence did not end in 1989. It did not end in 1999. It did not end in 2009. It did not end in 2019, it didn’t end last year and it didn’t end last night. Because even today, right now, all women, Two Spirit and gender diverse people are still navigating danger disguised as normal.”

A crowd of people gathered at a public vigil of remembrance and action for those who have been affected by gender-based violence. On a Day of Remembrance and Action, a community that is deeply impacted by intimate partner violence, femicide and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls gathered to remember the 14 women who were killed for being feminists and being women and to remember all those who have faced and continue to face gender based violence.

Erika Doehring-Lafferty, an artist, poet and facilitator led the event held at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in the city of Yellowknife.

Doehring-Lafferty was joined by Minister Lucy Kuptana, Mahalia Yakeleya-Newmark, Keneisha Buddoo, Prerna Kirshan and Tineke Kippers were among the speakers sharing some of their own experiences, knowledge and their hopes for change.

Within the crowd of over one hundred people who gathered on the second floor of the museum, folks greeted each other with smiles, but also tears and worry lines in between embraces.

Lafferty pointed out that feeling uncomfortable and “nervous” rises from a sense of responsibility.

“It comes from care, from wanting to honour and respect what this day means,” says Lafferty.

“Today, we remember and honour the 14 young women who tragically lost their lives in the massacre at the University of Montreal’s Polytechnique School.”

“These young women were murdered because they were women and because they were feminists,”

Lafferty reflected that it is a day to not only remember those women but also a day of action to commit to bringing an end to the violence that women, girls and gender-diverse people across the territory face daily.

“Across this country, many people continue to face violence every day because of their gender, because of their gender expression, their gender identity, their perceived gender. Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights and yet it still does persist. Civil society often normalizes and minimizes the silence. Crimes against women go unpunished. Investigations are delayed or denied. And accountability is inconsistent. The impunity only increases when the violence is directed at women of colour, Indigenous women, Two Spirit and fem peoples, refugees and immigrant communities,” said Lafferty, who was visibly overcome with emotion.

Action can be about actively listening and actively questioning. As Lafferty pointed out, although some statistics have suggested that there currently are over 1,000 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit in the country, the oral histories of families and advocates attest that the number of Missing and Murdered is much higher.

Systemic barriers have allowed for the situation to continue for many generations.

“Because so many cases are underreported, underinvestigated or dismissed. Here in the Northwest Territories, we know how critical this is. Until recently, the N.W.T had no missing persons legislation, leaving families without a legal way to access records or information when a loved one goes missing. This gap causes harm. We have the legislation now that is not only administrative. It’s a matter of safety and process.”

Lafferty reflected on some of the ways gender based violence manifests in the history of colonialism and colonialization that marks the land where the gathering took place.

“The land of Yellowknife has also experienced violence and extraction, poisoning and the long legacy of environmental harm. Giant Mine is one example of how colonial systems treated the land, not as a relative, but as a resource to be exploited. Imagine not being able to harvest the medicines your family gathers since time immemorial, having to travel an hour outside of town just to access what was once available right outside your home. This is a human right, to access medicine to be in relationship with the land to be held by your relatives, which include the land. And the same colonial systems that believe the land could be extracted from without consequence also believe women, girls and gender diverse peoples could be harmed without consequences.”

It is a worldview that has marked the lands, treating the environment as expendable, treating women, girls and gender diverse people as expendable. Lafferty spoke of the ways that connecting with and advocating for the land can help break cycles of violence.

As Minister Kuptana reflected on the tragic events of Dec. 6 1989, she called attention to the way the women were “taken” and targeted for “nothing more than pursuing their dreams.”

“Today, we honour them and we remember them. The national day of remembrance of violence against women is about ensuring that these women are never forgotten and for all of us to recommit to ending gender based violence in all its forms.”

Combating hatred, misogyny and systemic violence and the crisis of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two Spirit and gender diverse people is a “shared responsibility” the minister reflected.

“We recognize the deep pain felt by families and communities, and we stand with Survivors in their healing journey. It is impossible to put these feelings into words, but I hope all families know that we carry your pain and honour their memory with you. In the Northwest Territories, we continue to face the stark and troubling reality, we have one of the highest rates of family violence in Canada. Women and girls are disproportionately affected and this is not a statistic we can ignore, it underscores a need for change.”

Minister Kuptana said amid the 16-day period of activism against gender based violence, the gathering seeks to place a “light” on women, girls, Two Spirit and gender diverse people that challenges the attitudes, systems and behaviours that perpetuate violence.

“Violence is a human rights issue that demands our collective action,” said Minister Kuptana.

This year, the activism is focused on ending digital forms of gender based violence and advocating for safety in all spaces, whether physical or virtual.

The theme raises awareness about the ways that gender-based violence is threatening female and gender diverse bodies, a danger that is intensified for those who are Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+ . Women, girls, Two Spirit and gender diverse people face harassment, abuse and threats online as well as in physical spaces at a disproportionate level.

Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay, executive director of the YWCA NWT spoke of the importance of standing together in a shared space of remembrance, reflection and solidarity.

Growing up in Sierra Leone, Dumbuya-Sesay experienced and witnessed gender based violence and that did not end when she came here.

Dumbay-Sesay grew up in Sierra Leone during a time the civil war when girls and women were being targeted.

“People were taken away from their families and subjected to unimaginable violence and that included me. When I came to Canada, this violence did not stop. I faced violence in a past relationship and encountered violence from strangers in the community. I am grateful to be alive today to share this story. I am grateful to have found safety, love, stability with my partner and our children. My life could have been very different and I carry that truth with me every day.”

As Dumbay-Sesay points out, the violence is not a historical issue, but an ongoing current issue.

“We recognize that violence faced by women is rooted not only in gendered power imbalances but also in classicism, racism and colonialism – all forces that shape the choices and barriers that women experience every day. For many, leaving an abusive partner or situation is not simple or even possible because of all these overlapping issues.”

Communities are deeply impacted by intimate partner violence, femicide, and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two Spirit and gender diverse people.

Dumbuya-Sesay explained that statistical data reinforces the narratives of people facing gender-based violence across the country. According to data collected by Stats Canada, every six days a women is killed by an intimate partner. Dumbuya-Sesay also pointed out that the data does not fully capture the reality as many cases go unreported.

A representative from Northern Mosaic in Yellowknife spoke about the ways that Queer, Two Spirit and Trans women have been disproportionately affected by gender based violence, something that has been documented by narratives as well as statistics showing they experience intimate partner violence at double the rate of heterosexual cisgender women.

There has been an increase in violence against community members in recent years. The intensification of long term trends of transphobic and misogynistic rhetoric and policies have only made barriers to basic resources like equitable health care, including gender affirming care, all the more challenging.

There are few safe spaces where women, girls, Two Spirit, Trans and gender non-conforming people can feel safe “in a society which structurally and ideologically discriminates against them.”

Keneisha Buddoo, chair of the Yellowknife Women’s Society, led the crowd in speaking aloud the names of each of the 14 women.

Geneviève Bergeron
Hélène Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Maryse Laganière
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michèle Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz

After speaking each name aloud, a wave of silence fell over the room.

Buddoo reflected that just saying their names is “incomplete,” it’s not enough.

“It’s not as significant as we want it to be because violence did not end in 1989. It did not end in 1999. It did not end in 2009. It did not end in 2019, it didn’t end last year and it didn’t end last night. Because even today, right now, all women, Two Spirit and gender diverse people are still navigating danger disguised as normal,” said Buddoo.

“Violence did not stay in the past. It is threaded and braided into the present. In our systems. In our streets,” added Buddoo.

Violence is in places that are often hidden or taken for granted, but is experienced daily in conversations, the educational system, health care settings and workplaces.

“Violence did not end with their names. It continues in the bodies and lives of the Missing and Murdered Women, Girls Two Spirit, gender diverse and immigrant women,” explains Buddoo.

Prerna Krishan reflected on the ways that in the last 36 years, violence against women and gender diverse people has continued across the world.

Krishan pointed to some of the ways that people are facing tremendous pressures rooted in gender binaries and norms. Women are still expected to carry the burden of caring for their families and taking care of homes while juggling the demands of their jobs and careers.

Krishan also spoke about the ways that men are also affected by gender based violence, as they are expected to “be stoic.”

“It’s our collective failure as a society where men do not get a chance, they’ve been brought up by the society to keep everything inside,” said Krishan.

“We need to change that, change the pattern of violence.”

Mahalia Yakeleya-Newmark said that Indigenous communities know the violence only too well that they are in danger of normalizing it. 

Yakeleya-Newmark told the story of a close family member, Mariella Lennie, who was 17 years old when she was murdered in Yellowknife 33 years ago.

Lennie came from Tulita, moving to the city to attend school and was staying with family.

Her family is still searching for answers.

“I have to be honest, even to say that term, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, hurts because we are so much more than that. We are real people with lives and stories, hopes and dreams and families that love us. So when I say your name Mariella Lennie, and I say your name, Frank Gruben and I say your name Tara Carpenter, I say your names with deep love, your lives have value and you and your families deserve justice.”

Yakeleya-Newmark explained that their families continue to search for answers and are asking that anyone who has any information come forward.

Speakers and members of the audience were called to come forward and place a rose in remembrance and action for those who died on Dec. 6 . A large bouquet of roses was placed beside the silhouettes to acknowledge all of the women, girls and Two Spirit, Trans and gender-diverse people in the territory who have faced gender based violence.