Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) and two-spirit people were honoured in B.C.鈥檚 capital this weekend during the annual Stolen Sisters Memorial March.

Indigenous drummers led hundreds from Our Place Society to the legislature building Sunday (Feb. 12) in Victoria.

鈥淲e are losing too many of our people,鈥� Stolen Sisters Memorial March committee member Monique May said. 鈥淭his needs to end. We need support as a community from coast to coast. It鈥檚 an ongoing crisis.鈥�

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald spoke on the legislature lawn after the march.

鈥淓very First Nations person here is affected by MMIWG,鈥� Archibald said. 鈥淲e either know somebody directly that has gone missing or has been murdered or we know of a family or friend of someone who has gone missing or has been murdered. This is a widespread issue.鈥�

This was the 13th annual march, but the event hadn鈥檛 been held since 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns.

鈥淪ometimes people think of genocide as a mass genocide that鈥檚 happening all at once, but the genocide that鈥檚 happening to First Nation鈥檚 people is happening to one person at a time,鈥� Archibald added.

An Esquimalt missing woman file was brought back into the spotlight ahead of the march.

Belinda Cameron was last seen on May 11, 2005, at the Shopper鈥檚 Drug Mart in the 800-block of Esquimalt Road, and she was reported missing on June 4, 2005.

Cameron is described as Indigenous, 5鈥�8鈥� tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Investigators believe she was the victim of foul play.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Victoria Police Department鈥檚 historical case review office at 250-995-7390 or call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

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brendan.mayer@blackpress.ca
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