As communities across Canada honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on the National Day of Awareness, members of the Governing Body of the Highway of Tears gathered in Prince George’s Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park to announce a new project that will commemorate the lives lost, but not forgotten, along Highway 16, now internationally known as the Highway of Tears.
With support from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and led by Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS), the Governing Body of the Highway of Tears shared details of the project, known as the Pillars of Hope and Strength.
The unique pillars will be made of local red cedar and will be carved on each of their four sides by local Indigenous artists who will be guided by the creative direction of renowned Haida artist and carver, Keith Kerrigan.
The Pillar of Hope will be located in Prince George, at one end of the Highway of Tears, while the Pillar of Strength will reside in Prince Rupert, the other end of Highway 16. The pillars are anticipated to be raised in both communities in the fall of 2022.
A key element to the pillars’ creation is the opportunity they will provide for family members and those impacted by the loss of women and girls along the Highway of Tears to have a quiet place to visit and reflect. The raising of the pillars will be followed by two Letting Go ceremonies, one in each community, to honour the lives lost and to offer families the opportunity to further their healing.
“Today is an important day, for many reasons,” said Mary Teegee, Executive Director of Child and Family Services at CSFS. “I am humbled to be joined by members of the Governing Body of the Highway of Tears, who have each endured a tremendous amount of pain as a result of violence against their family members. To be able to create these monuments to commemorate their loved ones is incredibly special and meaningful on the road to healing.”
The project is supported by the Highway of Tears Governing Body, which was created as a result of the 2006 Highway of Tears Recommendations Report and was based on input from families of the victims, Nation members, Indigenous leaders, and government representatives who attended the Highway of Tears Symposium to bring national awareness and action plans to the deaths and atrocities committed against Indigenous women and girls along the Highway of Tears.
“My heart is bursting with joy today,” said Brenda Wilson, a founding member of the Governing Body of the Highway of Tears. “I am so happy to see this project come to light and the many other important initiatives underway to ensure the murdered and missing, women like my sister Ramona, are never forgotten.”
In addition to funding provided by Indigenous Services Canada, CSFS is seeking partnerships to maximize the impact of the project and to raise awareness of violence against Indigenous women and girls, which continues to be pervasive.
To find out more about the project or how you can become involved, please visit: www.highwayoftears.org/pillars-hope-strength.