WATCH: A large crowd made its way through Duncan Saturday to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal men, women and children. Isabelle Raghem was there.
More than a hundred people marched in Duncan Saturday as they paid tribute and demand justice for missing and murdered Aboriginal men, women and children.
Marchers and their message brought the Island Highway to a stand still for about ten minutes.
“It means a lot because it just shows that my daughter is not forgotten,” says Mary Jim, mother of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones, who was murdered in 201. “She’s still my everything, she’s my first born.”
Among some of the people being honoured with posters and pictures is Catherine Joe, who was murdered in 1977 Her killer remains unknown. Another poster was also on display reading “Where is Lisa [Marie Young].” Marie Young has been missing since 2002.
“[Indigenous people] matter, they’re human beings, they have human rights and that’s what we’re here for today,” said one attendee.
There we also reminders of three First Nations men missing from the Cowichan Valley: Everett Jones, who has not been seen since February 2016, Desmond Peter, missing since 2007, and Ian Henry last seen in 2015.
“We have no information where he is and just hope he comes back home,” Ian Henry’s father said Saturday.
The group walked nearly three kilometres from the Cowichan Tribes Cultural Centre through downtown Duncan and finished at the Tribes’ gymnasium where a prayer is given to the heartbroken families.
“Many of our families in Cowichan have been suffering, many of them for many years, in some cases for decades. Today is about standing them up showing leadership does care and is behind them,” says Stuart Pagaduan, elected councillor for Cowichan Tribes.
Isabelle Raghem
