[Iswg3906.organizers] 9th Annual Strawberry Ceremony for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

[A.R.J. Gracey]

Hi all:

Thanks for sending this around, Jess. I will definetly go if we can
organize it and the car share is an excellent idea. I like the idea of
donating as well.

Thanks,

Tony


On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 11:34 PM, Jessica Foran <foran.jessica at gmail.com>wrote:

> hey again all,
>
> the annual strawberry ceremony is coming up on Feb. 14th and i'm wondering
> if anyone is interested in going? perhaps we could use the car share... i
> know danielle b. posted about looking for a ride from hamilton and perhaps
> others may also be interested.
>
> also, this message seeking endorsements and other assistance was posted to
> the page recently:
>
> "Please let us know if your organization would like to endorse this event
> or can support financially for things like tokens, sound system, feast etc.
> Volunteers are needed to help with postering and on the day of. Please
> inbox me if you can help!"
>
> The facebook page is public so you should be able to see the details, but
> just in case the info is below.
>
> https://www.facebook.com/events/578758638867662/
>
>
> *9th Annual Strawberry Ceremony in Honour of Missing and Murdered
> Indigenous Women and those who have died Violent Deaths by Colonialism*
> Strawberry Ceremony with Wanda Whitebird begins at 12:30(-1:30) Police
> Headquarters 40 College Street at Bay, Toronto
>
> Community Feast catered by NaMeRes at the 519 Church Street Community
> Centre; 519 Church Street following the rally.
>
> Please leave your agency banners and organization signs at home and make
> some in honour of women who have died instead.
>
> Tokens will be available at the rally.
>
> Three Indigenous women have died violent deaths in Toronto since last
> year's ceremony. This has led No More Silence to create a community owned
> database to document and investigate such deaths in collaboration with
> Families of Sisters in Spirit and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network
>
> We continue to raise our voices in denouncing the racism and complicity of
> state institutions and we support the demand for a national public inquiry
> led by Indigenous grass roots women and supported by a United Nations
> Investigation into Missing & Murdered Indigenous women in Canada
>
> According to research conducted by the Native Women Association of Canada
> (NWAC) under the Sisters In Spirit Program, over 600 Indigenous women have
> been murdered or gone missing, most of them over the last 30 years.
>
> Despite clear evidence that this is an ongoing issue, the federal
> government decided in the fall of 2010 to end funding to Sisters in Spirit.
> Instead monies in the amount of $10 million have been dedicated to a
> central RCMP missing person centre. The same institution - who, along with
> the Vancouver Police Department, failed to properly investigate Pickton in
> 1997 - was at the centre of a public inquiry in Vancouver. The sham inquiry
> into the failed Pickton investigation has since been completed with no
> consequences for any guilty parties and was boycotted by 20 of the 21
> groups who were granted standing due to the denial of adequate funding for
> legal defense.
>
> Pickton, who was convicted for six murders, has admitted to killing 49
> women. A total of 18 murders occurred after he was arrested and released
> for the attempted murder of a sex worker in 1997. This is blood on police
> hands, yet RCMP officers testifying at the sham inquiry state “there are
> few things they would change about how they did their work.”
>
> It should come as no surprise that the Committee to End Discrimination
> Against Women at the United Nations has visited the country to investigate
> Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women.
>
> On February 14th we come together in solidarity with the women who started
> this vigil over 20 years ago in Vancouver's DTES, and with the marches and
> rallies that will be taking place across this land. We stand in defense of
> our lives and to demonstrate against the complicity of the state in the
> ongoing genocide of Indigenous women and the impunity of state institutions
> and actors (police, RCMP, coroners' offices, the courts, and an indifferent
> federal government) that prevents justice for all Indigenous peoples.
>
> No More Silence began holding ceremony at police headquarters on February
> 14th 9 years ago. 2 years ago we formed the February 14th Organizing
> Committee in an effort to broaden community participation in the planning
> of the event - the committee is made up of The Native Youth Sexual Health
> Network<https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Native-Youth-Sexual-Health-Network/154777717651> Sistering
> and other feminist and Indigenous community organizations.
>
> Endorsed by: Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women against Rape;
> Toronto Bolivia Solidarity;DAWN Ontario DisAbled Women's Network Ontario,
> OCAP, Centre for Women's Studies in Education at OISE, Native Women's
> Resource Centre of Toronto<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Native-Womens-Resource-Centre-of-Toronto/292090724136835>
>  Maggies TO <https://www.facebook.com/maggies.to> Toronto Council Fire
> Native Cultural Centre <https://www.facebook.com/Toronto.Council.Fire>,
> Anduhyaun, Ontario Aboriginal HIV Strategy, Toronto Council Fire Native
> Cultural Centre Sexual Assault Survivors Support Line at York, No One is
> Illegal, Idle No More Toronto <https://www.facebook.com/idlenomoretoronto>Indigenous
> Waves <https://www.facebook.com/indigenouswaves>, The Women's
> Coordinating Committee for a Free Wallmapu [Toronto], Independent Jewish
> Voices, Women and Gender Studies Institute at U of T, OPIRG Toronto, Rising
> Tide, LEAF (Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund), Anti-Colonial
> Committee, Law Union of Ontario, The Gender Based Violence Awareness group
> (OPIRG York, CWTP @ York, York Grad. Students Association, Trans Feminist
> Caucus of CUPE 3903, SASSL), CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and
> Democracy, Ryerson University, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Bathurst
> United Church Social Justice and Community Engagement Committee, Women in
> Solidarity with Palestine,
> International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Canada, Shameless Magazine
>
>
> Financial Support:
>
> CUPE Toronto District Council, Independent Jewish Voices, Women and Gender
> Studies Institute at U of T, CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and
> Democracy, Women in Solidarity with Palestine, International Jewish
> Anti-Zionist Network, Canada, Bathurst United Church Social Justice and
> Community Engagement Committee,
>
> Printing by Opirg York <https://www.facebook.com/opirgyork> and the
> Aboriginal Students' Association at York
> Check out the No More Silence blog for video and audio of our past work:
> http://nomoresilence-nomoresilence.blogspot.ca/
>
> List of Feb 14th Memorial Marches in other communities:
> http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/national
>
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>
>
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