Thousands of Canadians set to join Sisters In Spirit Day of Awareness

Ottawa, ON (September 25, 2008) – The 3 rd annual Sisters In Spirit Vigil will take place October 4th across Canada and again this year, this event has surpassed expectations. A record 37 communities to date in eight provinces have signed up to host a SIS Vigil to highlight the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

Canadians are becoming increasingly aware that hundreds of Aboriginal women have either disappeared or have been found murdered across Canada during the past few decades. The question remains, “Why are Aboriginal women being targeted?”

The Native Women’s Association of Canada will co host a national vigil on Parliament Hill in Ottawa along with Amnesty International and KAIROS. A special feature this year will be the launch of hundreds of environmentally friendly SIS balloons. Each balloon signifies healing and hope.

The communities hosting Sisters in Spirit vigils this year include:
Akwesasne Territory Athabasca, AB Barry's Bay, ON
Brandon, MB Cranbrook, BC Dryden, ON
Edmonton, AB Fort St. John, BC Georgina Island, ON
Halifax, NS Hamilton, ON Indian Brook FN, NS
(Shubenacadie)
Kenora, ON Lakefield, ON La Ronge, SK
Lethbridge, AB London, ON Marathon, ON
Montréal, QC Ottawa,ON Penticton, BC
Prince George, BC Regina, SK Rimbey, AB
Saskatoon, SK Sioux Lookout, ON Slave Lake, AB
Standing Buffalo FN, SK Thompson, MB Thunder Bay, ON
Tobique FN, NB Toronto, ON Truro, NS
Vancouver, BC Waterloo, ON Winnipeg, MB
Yorkton, SK

To learn more how your community can host its own vigil or for further details about the Sisters In Spirit initiative, please visit the NWAC website at www.nwachq.org or contact Sisters in Spirit Community Development Coordinator Theresa Ducharme 1 (800) 461-4043 ext. 243 or tducharme@nwac-hq.org