58 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2
M
oved by current events
around the Black Lives Matter
movement, Heather Putulik
decided to organize a parade on the streets
of Naujaat in Nunavut to honour the Inuit
of the land and how they were treated by
the colonial government of Canada, and
to commemorate the Missing Indigenous
Women and Girls (MMIWG).
"I'm doing this because I've seen a lot of
Indigenous women and girls go missing,
get murdered and face sexual violence and
abuse and I want it to stop," wrote Heather
Putulik, in a Facebook announcement
about the march. "We really need our
culture back."
Healing Through
Community Gatherings
According to a news report from Nunavut
News, 30 to 40 people turned out for the
parade to march in support of MMIWG.
Those in attendance had the opportunity
to listen to Elder Elizabeth Haqpi to talk
about healing and the history of violence
against women. The event ended around
a bonfire where all were invited to write
about experiences they wanted to let go of
and to throw them into the fire as a symbol
of their journey towards healing.
Heather Putulik
I'm doing this because
I've seen a lot of Indigenous
women and girls go missing,
get murdered and face
sexual violence and abuse
and I want it to stop.
An article in
Nunavut News
featuring
Heather's
parade.
