Vigil for murdered and missing Indigenous women at Market Square

Market Square behind Belleville City Hall was the site of a vigil for murdered and missing Indigenous women on Monday.

Red dresses were placed along the square with pictures of Indigenous women that were either murdered or missing with a QR code place on the bottom of the picture leading to more information about the case.

“You can access a more lengthened version of their stories, but those are just a handful of some of the stories from around Ontario,” Victim Services Coordinator for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Amber Dillabough, tells media.

Before the vigil began, a march took place from Empire Square to Market Square where candles and tobacco ties were handed out.

“The candles are to kind of symbolize souls and that we have them here. We’re all gathered here today with them in spirit,” Dillabough explained.

Speeches then took place with speakers including Chief of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte R. Don Maracle, Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis, Constituency Assistant to MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Rebecca Wilkinson, and gender-based violence survivor Cassie Brandt.

Dillabough says it is important to have people be aware.

“A big thing is awareness and understanding that change happens everywhere, and it happens slowly. So knowing that our women are being targeted specifically, and knowing that they’re not being covered, that’s the big one,” Dillabough said.

“So just awareness around the topic, and making people think missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirit and putting that in their head, and then people might be encouraged to do their own research and look at even more statistics, because it goes way deeper than what we covered tonight.”

She says it is great to see the community come out and give their support.

“That’s a big thing for Indigenous peoples, is that sense of community and coming together to honour the women that we’ve lost, the women that are still missing and the women that are at risk, right?” Dillabough tells media.

“So seeing support from the Belleville community as well, and everybody coming together just means a lot to all of us.”