Families, advocates, organizations meet to close 'great divide' on MMIW

As an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls looms, victims' familiesand advocates say it's important to have everyone on the same page before it even starts.

The solution is sometimes hard to swallow says one advocate.

"The main important thing is that we have to let go of position titles,"saidNikketaCampbell, program manager for Winnipeg'sWahbungAbinoonjiiagInc."We just need to get back to the importance of seeing each other as equals."

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Campbell hasspent the past decade working with children and familiesto break the cycle of violence acycle that is rampant in manyindigenous communities across this country.

On Monday, she is bringing together advocatesto "bridge the gap" as part of athree-day conference on solutions to end domestic violence. The workshops are called Women are Sacred.

"It's really about coming together to talk about the importance of three main topics and that is safety, prevention, and healing," Campbell said.

Victim's families, women's groups, indigenous organizations, and even provincial and territorial governments all want a hand in stopping this tragedy from continuing, and rightfully so, said Campbell.However, she is noticing adivision amongst those who want to be directly involvedas the inquiry comes closer to reality, something she calls a "great divide."

"I see all these different groups, and I see the unhealthy attachment to [the issue] and realize that we need to start looking at healing, uniting and working together," said Campbell.

"This is about addressing violence itself."

No stranger to experiencing violence

Campbell'scousin, Simone Sanderson,was found in Winnipeg's north end on Sept2, 2012. Winnipeg police confirm her death is a homicide.

Within her own family, Campbellhasseen the cycle of violence continuewhile the healing and growth they need to find from Simone's death has been stunted.

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"So me, myself, being involved in that process ...I see the gaps in that, and I feel that pain, so I know it's personal," she said.

'Women are sacred'

One of the waysWahbungAbinoonjiiagInc. is already working at the division in the communityis by reaching out to similar organizations in other cities across the country.

The centre hopes to get a calendar together with all the different events and discussions around policies onMMIW.

Participants in theWomen are SacredeventincludeManitoba Keewatinowi OkimakanakGrand Chief Sheila North Wilson andWillie Starr, whose sister, Jennifer Catcheway, has been missing since 2008.

Wilfred Catcheway, Jennifer's dad, said stronger laws are needed to saveindigenous women like his daughter.

"They're life givers so they need to be protected," he said.

North Wilson said she believes offering programming focused onteaching indigenouswomen from reservations how to be vigilante in bigger cities needs to be a priority.Educating young indigenous boys and girls of the potential dangers they could encounter in cities is also important, she added.

Artist Jackie Traverse will also be at the event.She started a butterfly campaign for MMIW and went knocking on doors in Winnipeg's North End, looking for her missing niece.

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Traverseechoed North Wilson's concerns. She said the same kindof city survival programming needs to be offered to kidsin care so that they, too, are better equipped with the knowledge of what towatch out for.

As well as members from the both the province's victims services and child and family services will be on hand.

The conference was arranged as part of domestic violence prevention month.