My cousin Tanya Holyk went missing in 1996.
She was one of the unlucky ones.
Her DNA was found on Pickton's farm,
and I have a missing auntie.
Her name is Belinda Williams.
But she's been missing since 1977.
I want to raise awareness
of the alarming high rates of violence against First Nations women and girls across canada.
And the high alarming rates of missing and murdered First Nations women across canada.
I want to promote First Nation women role models,
and give aboriginal youth, teens, girls, and all women
someone to look up to in our communities.
I have 20 beautiful First Nations women backing me up on this.
And I have a good support system.
And we're calling ourselves Butterflies In Spirit.
I find it appalling that it continues to happen.
I find it disturbing that the agencies won't admit
a little bit of racial discrimination
might've been a deciding factor
in them investigating or not
because these were aboriginal women.
So I really believe that the system
the justice system in particular,
really has to take a look at how it deals with its aboriginal population.
And so I believe that this is an important cause.
I volunteer and organize with a group of women,
the Aboriginal Women's Action Network,
and we believe there can not be a meaningful outcome from the Oppal Commission,
in light of the fact that the Native Courtworkers and Counseling Association of BC,
the Union of BC Chiefs,
the Carrier Sekani,
NWAC [Native Women's Association of Canada]
Power of Women Group,
many other groups
have been shut out of this process.
Frontline women's organizations are not able to participate in the missing women's inquiry
because they were shut out,
we were given standing, but then not given any funding to have lawyers,
and we can't participate,
none of us are lawyers,
none of us are able to cross-examine,
and none of us are able to review a million pages of documentation.
So unfortunately, we have not been able to participate in any particularly meaningful way.
Well we've been doing a variety of things,
some of which is, um, talking to people, attending rallies, um,
really talking about the inability of all of us not to be able to participate,
and also thinking about how women might want to come forward
if it were in an easier place to do it.
However, that, now that we have attended days of the inquiry,
it's really apparent that this is not a safe place for women to be.
So unfortunately between not being able to because of lack of legal advice,
and as well as a place that really isn't accessible to many women
who, you know, they haven't for 10 years wanted to come forward,
and they may very well not want to come forward now.
[Women's Warrior Song]
And I often wonder,
what hope is there?
But we're still here!
So there's hope!
[Women's Warrior Song...]