'Sacred Sisters' Ride Ends in Prince George

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 03:52 PM

Prince George, B.C. - Approximately 80 people gathered at the junction of Highways 97 and 16 this afternoon for a traditional ceremony marking the completion of the 'Sacred Sisters Unity Ride 2010'...

Organizer Eric Mitchell says a core group of 25 people set out from the Upper Nicola Band's traditional territory at Douglas Lake, near Merritt, back on July 3rd.

He says the unity ride was the brainchild of Upper Nicola Elder Wilfred Thom who wanted to do something to show support for the family members of the many missing and murdered women along the Highway of Tears. (A similar rally was held at the courthouse in Prince George back in February, click here)

Mitchell says the participants walked, ran, and travelled by horseback, "in honour of the spirits of those girls and women that have been murdered and are still missing."

"If there is any one word that would describe the ride, it would be emotional," he says. "Families that came on the ride were being healed, individuals were being healed in overcoming certain obstacles in their personal growth because the ride is a very trying thing. For 21 days, we journeyed together, we got hungry together, we got tired together. We learned to support one another, in a good, healing, healthy way."

Stella Alec left her home in Pavilion, B.C., this past weekend, after hearing about the ride and feeling the need to join it. She arrived at the local tourism office tired and with blisters on her feet, but says her pain cannot compare to that of the victims' families. (Alec is holding mic in photo at left)

Also on-hand at today's ceremony were six women who drove from Lillooet to show their support. Gloria Joseph, Victims Assistance Coordinator at the Lillooet Friendship Centre, had this message for the victims' families, "I also say that I don't know what you're going through, but it hurts my heart just to hear the people talking about it."

Mary Teegee, with Carrier Sekani Family Services, called for a minute of silence before the ceremony wrapped up.

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Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 03:52 PM in News by Michelle Cyr-Whiting

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Comments

Posted by: Becca on July 21 2010 7:17 PM

These significant demonstrations of support remind us that, although no one today has gone missing, families are still wondering, worrying and waiting to find out what happened to the women in their lives who are missing.

May your loved ones be found and the healing comes quickly!

Posted by: HD on July 21 2010 7:44 PM

.....and they are still hitchhiking as well........
Go figure that one out.

Posted by: dnakamura on July 21 2010 10:24 PM

HD get your facts straight before you make statements like the one you just made. Who are "THEY" exactly? Your tone sounds very disrespectful and rude. Not all of the missing and murdered women were hitch hiking.

Posted by: Eagleone on July 22 2010 2:02 AM

I would like to know exactly how many were hitch hiking? I have never seen hitch hiking before on any local highways by first nations other than the odd tree planters. They call it the 'highway of tears' and say all of the missing women were murdered... but in reality I wonder how many of these women can be tied directly in their disappearance to actual highway activity? And if they are missing then how do we know they were murdered?

One has to feel for people who are missing their loved ones and have empathy for their search... but the PR for their campaign should start from a point of honesty about the real dangers and those activities as well, and the actual status of these women... to tie it all to the highway, local tourism, and blanket claims that all the missing women were murdered seems irresponsible and does little to solve any of the problems.

How many simply relocated and left their past miserable lives behind, or how many went missing but completely unrelated to the highway, how did these women live before they disappeared is something we rarely ever hear about because it would be rude to judge them for their lifestyles I guess?

A few years back one of the girls on the missing list turned up in California after something like 15-20 years... and had simply wanted to leave her past life behind... so do we really know why these women are missing and what exactly were they up to when and before they went missing? Or does that part of the fact finding to empower the public get in the way of a good PR campaign.

Sacred sisters would seem far more appropriate a PR campaign then 'highway of tears'. A PR campaign that promotes unity rather than casting aspersions to a geographical area in the hope that some connections can be made... Sacred Sisters is a better approach IMO.