Walking With our Sisters
Walking With our Sisters
The last Sunday in September Juliah Maru, Rebecca Ngeno, Victoria Ewert and I got the chance to help set up the “Walking with our Sisters” Exhibit in Edmonton- an Art Installation by Christi Belcourt in memory of over 600 missing and murdered Indiginous Women. What an honour to be part in helping to unpack the sacred vamps (tops of mocassins) beautifully decorated by more than 1700 artists -every pair in memory of a woman that is dearly missed by the community and her family.
We took part in a Smudging Ceremony where Sage is burned to remove negative energy. Only then we were ready to help unpack the vamps and sort them. We also got a chance to help roll out the red carpet where the vamps were later displayed on. We felt the spirits of the missing and murdered women were present at all times.
Three days later I had the chance to be part in the opening ceremony at sunrise where we finally got to walk with our sisters.
The way the exhibit is set up you get to walk along the vamps and it literally feels like you are walking with them as if the women are really present.
The Edmonton exhibit will only be on until October 13. The next chance to experience it is in Regina from November 4 to December 20, 2013. Please refer to the Walking with Our Sisters facebook page for more information.
By Christine Sharma, President, Rotary Club Edmonton Southeast