Thunder Bay, ON – Today on the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) invites you to join us as we gather to honour and support the participants of the Medicine Lines of Womanhood – MMIWG Commemorative Art Project public exhibit.
This project brought together family members and loved ones of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to develop art pieces in commemoration of their respective loved ones. The artwork was undertaken with the support of Art Therapy Helpers, Grief Counsellors, Knowledge Keepers, Elders and a network of family members who gathered during the project.
The overarching goal of the project is to create a space of healing for those directly connected to the trauma of MMIWG and to bring awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls through stories and art pieces.
This in-person launch and first public exhibit will be hosted at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery at 1080 Keewatin St, Thunder Bay, ON, and is open to all individuals and organizations who would like to join ONWA to honour the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the personal strength, courage, and determination of survivors and family members..
The art exhibit will be open to the public commencing May 5 and closes on May 14, 2023. The exhibit will further help to provide healing for families who have experienced a loss to violence against Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as well as educate the community about the alarmingly high rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
ONWA also invites you to learn more about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by:
Visiting the ONWA MMIWG webpage which hosts resources, videos, and reports https://www.onwa.ca/learning-resources-mmiwg
Reading the ONWA Report “Reconciliation with Indigenous Women- Changing the Story of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls” https://www.onwa.ca/reports
If you or a family member have been impacted and require emotional support, contact the 24-Hour Talk4Healing help line 1-855-554-HEAL (4325)
For more information:
Andre Morriseau, Communications Manager
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)
Email: amorriseau@onwa.ca
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