Day to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, 2 Spirit and Gender Diverse Individuals
Back to SearchFebruary 14, Valentine’s Day, is the Day to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse Individuals. This is a day to take time for reflection, remembrance and commitment as we recognize the deep pain and loss experienced by Indigenous communities across the nation due to the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence that disproportionately targets Indigenous women and girls.
The Day to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse Individuals (M.M.I.W.G.2.S+) was created in response to the Women's Memorial March, first held in Vancouver in 1992. It commemorates the lives of M.M.I.W.G.2.S+ individuals in Canada. The March began as a response to the murder of a Salish woman in Vancouver's downtown eastside. Since then, it has become a significant event for Indigenous communities and their allies across Turtle Island (Canada and United States of America) to raise awareness about the ongoing issue of violence against Indigenous Peoples, to demand justice, and to call for action to address this national crisis.
As a City, we are committed to supporting initiatives that address the root causes of this crisis, including advocating for policy changes, allocating resources for victim support services and fostering greater understanding and reconciliation within our community through education and awareness to prevent further violence and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Indigenous Peoples. On this day, let us reaffirm our unwavering support for Indigenous communities and their calls for justice, accountability and meaningful action.
I urge all of us all to take this opportunity to reflect. Reflect on Canada’s history, our present day relationships with Indigenous Peoples and what we can each do to work toward reconciliation and forge a better future together.
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