National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

February 14th is the National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). This day is marked by activist groups organizing Women’s Memorial Marches across the United States and Canada to honor those who have been lost to violence and to protest against racism, inequality, and violence.
The Women’s Memorial March originated in Vancouver in 1992 after the murder of Cheryl Ann Joe, a local Indigenous woman. The march begins at the intersection of Main and Hastings and proceeds through downtown, pausing at locations where women’s bodies were found. At each location, the names of the women and their family members are read aloud, and the family and supporters pause to grieve.