Josephine Lavalley and Tina Labrador had just finished drumming and singing “The Longest Walk” and Lavalley felt she needed to share its significance to a small crowd gathered outside the Meridian Community Centre in Fonthill on Monday.
“It was a song that was created many years ago, and part of the meaning of that is the resilience of Native people,” she said.
Lavalley was speaking at flag raising in front of the community centre to draw attention to the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. The event also included the unveiling of REDress, an installation of red dresses to draw attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The installation was completed by the Canadian Federation of University Women.
Lavalley, an Onondaga from the Six Nations, thanked those in attendance for showing their support of the Indigenous community.
“We're happy to be here to be able to share some of our healing and inspiration and love,” she said, while she urged those present to speak to Indigenous people and hear their stories.
“That's all that people need, is just to listen to the stories of the dark history of residential school and the ongoing atrocities that happen, and talk about it,” she said. “Don't be afraid to talk to Native people about it, and just listen.”
Maxine Gaylor, president of the Canadian Federation of University Women – Welland and District, said the Pelham installation is one of several in south Niagara. Others are in Welland, Port Colborne, and Wainfleet and will remain in place for the entire duration of the 16 Days of Activism.
“The use of the red dresses to represent murder of missing Indigenous women and girls was created by Metis artist Jamie Black in 2010,” Gaylor said. “Across Canada, red dresses continue to raise awareness and act as a call to action to prevent further violence.”
The statistics, she said, are staggering.
“The homicide rate for First Nations, Metis and Inuit women and girls is six times higher than the rate among their non-Indigenous counterparts,” she said.
Monday was also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Samantha Forbes, manager of prevention and public education at Birchway Niagara (formerly Women’s Place of South Niagara), said the incidence of gender-based violence locally is “truly is an epidemic” based on the number of people coming to Birchway’s shelter in Niagara Falls for help.
“Last year alone, 148 women and 227 children stayed in our shelter to flee the violence they were experiencing at home,” Forbes said. “Many more reached out to our support lines, desperate for help, seeking guidance, to create safety plans, find secure housing or get help to navigate this tricky legal system.”
But shelters like Birchway need funding to keep up with the demand for a safe space for women and children fleeing violence.
“The need for domestic violence services is growing year after year, and we are struggling to keep pace. Reliable funding is crucial to ensure our services are always there when women and their children need them most.”
Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin, meanwhile, said it was important for the Town to be a part of the 16 Days initiative.
“Gender-based violence knows no boundaries,” he said. “It transcends borders, cultures, and socio-economic status. It affects individuals of all ages, races and backgrounds. It's a violation of basic human rights and an obstacle to achieving gender equality.”
And speaking to the issue of building a relationship with the Indigenous community, he said the Town was “very honoured” to, once again, host the REDress installation and draw attention to all gender-based violence.
“This Town is all about reconciliation and doing what we can to help that movement in the region and across Canada,” Junkin said.
