Martensville City Councillor Jamie Martens is working hard to spread information about a campaign that is very important to her and not widely known. The Moose Hide Campaign was created in 2011 after Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven came up with the idea while hunting moose on their traditional Carrier territory along the Highway of Tears in Northern B.C., a place where many women have gone missing or been murdered. Since then, the Moose Hide Campaign has grown into a national campaign with support from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from across the country.
Each year, First Nations, high schools, Friendship Centres, Post-Secondary institutions, government departments, private and non-private sector organizations, law enforcement agencies and more come together to help end violence against women and children.
“The Moose Hide Campaign provides a sacred space to contribute in our nation’s healing journey. It is a movement that calls upon people to speak up, take action, educate and support each other,” Senator Murray Sinclair, Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said.
The Moose Hide Campaign will be taking place on February 10th, 2022, and there are a variety of ways to get involved, such as; listening to inspiring speakers, sharing experiences, joining workshops, or participating in a fast from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is a key practice within the Moose Hide Campaign to help demonstrate a personal commitment to honouring and protecting women and children. Moose Hide pins are available to wear to show your support as well. More information about how you can participate can be found by visiting moosehidecampaign.ca.
Did You Know?
- Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16
- On any given night in Canada, 3491 women and their 2724 children sleep in shelters because it isn’t safe at home.
- One in three women attending postsecondary will be the victim of a sexual assault by the time they graduate
- Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner
- There were 1181 cases of missing or murdered indigenous women in Canada between 1980 and 2012, according to the RCMP. However, according to grassroots organizations and the Minister of the Status of Women, the number is much higher, closer to 4000.
- Children who witnessed violence in the home are twice as likely to develop psychiatric disorders as children from non-violent homes.
- Indigenous women are killed at six times the rate of non-indigenous women.
- Violence against women cost taxpayers and the government billions of dollars every year. Canadians collectively spend 7.4 billion alone dealing with the aftermath of spousal violence.
