As Chief of the Katlodeeche First Nation, I want to acknowledge the Missing and Murdered women and girls and the survivors.  I want to thank the families and survivors who had to share their painful experiences in hopes of a better future for the safety of women across Canada and the NWT and within the Indigenous communities.  Together we must not settle for nothing less in protecting women to awareness, education, stopping the violence for generations and by continuing the rebuilding of our partnerships and community for the safety of women across Canada.

The violence against women and girls is a daily reality but we also have the opportunity to highlight our extraordinary resilience and need to remain dedicated for advocating for women’s rights and freedoms, by action from our governments, federally, territorially and provincially.  Which means that each one of us needs to acknowledge our roles and become advocates in rebuilding our future by challenging the institutions to their ideologies that tend to govern them. 

Moving forward we need to witness the strength and courage of the families and survivors who continue to share their truths by carrying the necessary work from coast to coast with challenges.  We have the opportunity to hold one another accountable to campaigning for healing and to be the role models to our young girls and youth.

I’m overwhelmed by the gratitude of having this opportunity to be a voice and fight for change, especially as a mother, sister, aunt and niece. It is the time to end the violence against women and it is time for justice.

Elaine Auger
Chief