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Emotional goodbye for missing and murdered indigenous women exhibit

Feb 10, 2016 | 11:15 AM

An exhibit raising awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women is leaving the Battlefords, but not before making an impact on the over 3,500 people who visited.

Co-leader of the North Battleford Walking with Our Sisters group Leah Garvin said it was a very touching and moving exhibit for the many audience members who had been impacted by missing and murdered indigenous women.

“Numerous family members…have come through looking for healing. Some couldn’t come through the doors and some came through and made breakthroughs with their healing. They sat with the elders and they cried.”

Garvin said 120 students visited daily. Garvin said the impact on the students is immeasurable.

“People came not really knowing what to expect and they learned a lot. They learned from the elders. They learned…what 2,000 people look like.”

More than 2,000 decorative moccasin tongues, called vamps, were on display in the Chapel Gallery from Jan. 15 to Feb. 7.

The North Battleford group held a ceremony and feast to honour the departing exhibit. Garvin admitted it’s hard to say goodbye.

“Just having some small quiet time learning how to let go. We’ve realized and accepted that we loved these vamps while they were here and it’s time for them to move on, to bring that awareness and they’ll be loved elsewhere.”

The exhibit will be in Brandon, Manitoba next, followed by stops in the northeast region of the United States in Maine and New Hampshire.

 

mkelly@jpbg.ca