Nipissing Muskoka jumps into Common Book Common Ground

Nipissing’s Muskoka campus recently held its first event related to the 2012-13 Common Book Common Ground program. On October 4, a large audience gathered to watch the screening of Beyond the Shadows and listen to the expert panel consisting of Shelagh Rogers, Chad Lowry and Roger Chum. Following the panel, Dr. Jennifer Walker facilitated a lively discussion generating considerable interest among participants regarding the ongoing colonization of Aboriginal, Metis and Inuit peoples in Canada.This year, the event coincided with the Sisters in Spirit vigils held each year on October 4. This was especially relevant, given the correlation between the effects of residential schooling and the ongoing violence experienced by Aboriginal, Metis and Inuit peoples.
The Sisters in Spirit vigils are dedicated to honouring the lives of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada and to support families who have been tragically touched by the loss of loved ones to violence. According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) there are over 600 cases of murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls. NWAC is the only organization in Canada that maintains a national database on murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls. This year, NWAC’s Sisters in Spirit annual awareness campaign asks for a National Inquiry into the over 600 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.
A Sisters in Spirit vigil was held in Bracebridge prior to the screening of Beyond the Shadows and was followed by rally in front of MP Tony Clement’s Huntsville office. A copy of Speaking My Truth was presented to Clement, along with a request for further discussion on the topic of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.