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Families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls guests of honour at Sudbury conference

While federal inquiry into topic is ongoing, conference organizers wanted to be proactive

Clutching photos of their loved ones, family members of indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered followed an honour guard into a Greater Sudbury conference room.

They were the guests of honour Wednesday at the Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Conference, which is taking place Nov. 29-30.

The event is being put on by the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the N'Swakamok Native Friendship Centre.

Among those attending the event are Michelle Mainville-Atkinson and her eight-year-old grandson, Xavier Aguonie Fox.

Mainville-Atkinson's daughter, 20-year-old Cheyenne Fox of the Wikwemikong First Nation, died April 25, 2013, after falling from a Toronto high rise. 

Police ruled it a suicide, but her family are convinced it was murder. Xavier, Fox's son, was just five when his mom passed away.

Mainville-Atkinson said she thinks the conference builds a relationship between indigenous communities and police “so they can be accountable.”

The conference features topics such as violence prevention, healing from trauma, human trafficking, safety and self-defence, truth and reconciliation and even the presentation of a short play by local playwright Sarah Gartshore.

It was organized by Lisa Osawamick, aboriginal women's violence prevention co-ordinator with Greater Sudbury Police.

She's part of a project between police and the native friendship centre called “Looking ahead to build the spirit of our women: learning to live free from violence.”

While a federal commission is currently looking into the topic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls — some estimate their numbers in Canada at more than 1,000 — Osawamick said she wanted to do something local.

“Here in Sudbury, we've been proactive,” she said. “We've been doing this work from 2014, when we first started community discussions around what are we going to do to prevent missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.”

Osawamick said she hopes conference participants “walk away with more understanding of how family members are affected.”

As for family members such as Mainville-Atkinson and Aguonie Fox, Osawamick said she's “very, very honoured” they are taking part in the event. 

“I'm deeply grateful,” she said. “There's no words to express how honoured I am that they're here today.”

Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen called the conference a “significant milestone.”

“I don't know that there's any other police service that has such a strong relationship with its indigenous community and that is co-hosting something like this,” he said.


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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