Several organizations in the Sault partnered to raise awareness of violence towards women and children as part of the annual Moose Hide Campaign Day.
A community gathering was held at the Sault Ste. Marie Indigenous Friendship Centre today, featuring several keynote speakers and a march downtown to acknowledge the Indigenous-led grassroots movement, which engages men and boys — and all Canadians — to take a stand against gender-based violence.
“I think that's one of the biggest things in life, is that everyone deserves safety and security and to be respected. That is what the Moose Hide Campaign is all about,” said Charlotte McLean, sexual and gender-based violence prevention and support coordinator at Algoma University.
“It's an Indigenous man-led event; Indigenous men started this movement to prevent violence against women and children in their communities.
“I think that's especially important in the Indigenous community as well, because of the intergenerational trauma and the domino effect that that's caused.”
Cory Mcleod is the coordinator of Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin, a program at the Friendship Centre geared towards ending all forms of violence against Indigenous women by allowing Indigenous men and male youth over the age of 13 to reclaim their traditional roles and responsibilities through cultural resources and support services.
“Vulnerable women equals Indigenous women; we see this in our own city here in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Mcleod, who was one of the keynote speakers at Thursday’s event.
“We're seeing a rising number of Indigenous people suffering at the hands of addictions, at the hands of domestic violence — and the supports are not being met.”
Mcleod himself came from a “house of violence” when he was growing up. Now, he works with the Crown Attorney’s Office to address violence against Indigenous women by helping Indigenous males through culture.
“The cultural way — the kind that they wanted obliterated — has helped me to this day,” he said. “All my children have not seen one incident of violence in my home.
“Indigenous ways, the cultural ways . . . our own ways, work for those people.”
Women and children need more shelters and transitional homes in the Sault to escape domestic violence, Mcleod added.
“Every day goes by an Indigenous life is lost due to these circumstances of coming into cities and running into these barriers — nowhere to go for Indigenous women, and they're the ones that are taking the brunt, and our men too,” he said. “This is what's needed, I think, is more resources — wherever that comes from, federal, provincial or municipal.
“At the end of the day, we need that environment. All of us are starting our gardens and we need that environment for our people to grow, for our nation, for our communities to grow.”
The Algoma University Wellness Team, Anishinaabe Initiatives, Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students Association, Women In Crisis Algoma, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and the Sault Ste. Marie Indigenous Friendship Centre all had a hand in supporting today's Moose Hide Campaign Day event.