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TuesdayJanuary20201511ByDALICARMICHAELTherowsuponrowsofbeadedupperpairsfeaturedinthetravelingWalkingWithOurSistersWWOScommemora-tiveexhibitmightbestunningtoviewbuttheiraestheticbeautyisjustthesurfaceoftheirvalue.LikethelivesofsomanyAboriginalwomenmissingandmurderedinCanadaover1800pairsofmoccasinsormukluks-nowondisplayatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentrePWNHCinYellowknife-remainunnishedinterruptedbeforetheycouldfulltheirpotential.Itsnotanartexhibit.Iknowitsreferredtoasthatsometimesbutitsacommemo-rativememorialceremony...solelytohon-ourthemissingandmurderedindigenouswomenandtheaffectedfamiliessaidNolaNallugiakexecutivedirectoroftheNativeWomensAssociationoftheNWTandaleadorganizerbehindtheinstallationsYellow-knifevisit.SinceearlyJanuarythePWNHChasbeendrapedinredcarpetcoveredinmo-cassinuppersorvampsrepresentingapathwaythroughthelivesoftheindigenouswomenknowntobemissingormurderedWalkingWithOurSistersmemorialceremonyoffershealingtoNWTfamiliesinCanada.Thosewhovisitthememorialareaskedtofollowaceremonialprotocolbyparticipatinginasmudgingceremonycarriedoutbyeldersandkeepersuponen-teringthesacredspace.IndthateverybodywhohaswalkedthroughhasbeenveryrespectfulandyoucanseethattheyreverygenuineNallugiaksaid.Youcantellthattheyreconnectingwiththedisplayandunderstandtrulythatthesearethelivesofwomenwhoseliveshavebeenlost.ThisisnotthetypeofmemorialthatcanbeattendedpassivelyNallugiakimplied.SinceSeptemberover100volunteershavecometogethertoestablishactivitiesinconjunc-tionwithWWOSincludingseveralcommu-nityteach-insonviolenceagainstAborigi-nalwomenandaseriesofyouthcommitteeworkshopsrunbylocalyouthcoordinatorStephanieYoungandherassistantJaceyFirth-Hagen.Ourhopesforincludingyouthintheprocessistoraiseawarenessaboutsomeoftheissuesandthesituationsthatyouthareexperiencingandtobuildayouthcom-munityandhelpyouthconnectwitheachotherinawayYoungsaid.Itsbeenaveryeye-openingexperiencejustbeingapartofWalkingWithourSistersandthecommu-nitythatsbeencreatedaroundit.BecauseoftheinteractivenatureofWWOSkeepersandeldershavebeenaskedtocheckinwithvisitorsontheirwayoutthedoorensuringtheirwellbeingastheyheadbackintotheworld.InanefforttogetthoseimpactedinvolvedthedepartmentofJusticehasalsograntedtheWWOScommitteefundstotransportaffectedfamilieswhohavehadafemalefamilymemberstolenbyviolencetoYel-lowknifefortheceremony.Nallugiaknotedthosefundsarenotcurrentlybeingusedtotheirfullextent.SacredadditionstothetravelingmemorialWhilethedisplayisinYellowknifeNorth-ernelementshavebeenaddedtohonourtheuppersandthewomentheyrepresent.Spruceboughsappearthroughoutaddingahealingandmedicinalpresence.FursfromanimalsoftheNorthsitatopalargefabricArcticGraylingofferingcomfortsfromtheland.AswathofgreenclothsnakesacrosstheroofimitatingtheglowofauroraborealiswithhanddrumshangingarounditmeanttorepresentthebeliefheldbymanyNorth-ernersthatprayersmadewiththedrumsgouptotheskytothespiritsandtheCreatorNallugiaksaid.BeneaththatsetupisastageholdingacollectionofsacreditemsdonatedbycommunitiesthatformerlyplayedhosttoWWOS.WhenthememorialdepartsforWhitehorseonJan.24anuluasmallMtissashandarattlewillbegiftedfromtheYellowknifekeeperstocarryonwiththeexhibit.Thoughtheeventwillofciallyclosewithanalteach-insessiononJan.26thewomensstorieswillliveonascitizenscon-tinuetoriseandaddresstheissueofmiss-ingandmurderedindigenouswomen.Ac-cordingtoaRCMPreportpublishedearlylastyearapproximately1181caseshavebeenreported.NextmonththeGNWTwillhostaround-tableonmissingandmurderedwomentotakeplaceinconjunctionwithameetingofthefederalAboriginalAffairsworkinggroup.Theofcialdateshaveyettobede-terminedthoughtheyareexpectedtofalloneitherFebruary11-13or25-27.PhotosTessaMacintoshOver1800uppersmakeuptheWalkingWithOurSistersYellowknifeinstallationatouringvolunteer-basedartprojectcreatingawarenessofmissingandmurderedAboriginalwomenaroundthecountry.Thosewhoentertheexhibitareexpectedtopartakeinasmudgingceremonytokeepthememorialspacesacred.SomeoftheuniqueuppersfeaturedintheWalkingWithOurSistersinstallationhandmadeinmemoryoflostorstolensistersmothersdaughtersauntscousinsandgrandmothers.TheuppersotherwiseknownasvampsaredonatedbymenandwomenfromacrossCanadaandtheUnitedStates.JUSTICEMISSINGWOMEN