Today is Moose Hide Campaign Day, which is being marked by an online gathering to raise awareness about the disproportionate violence faced by Indigenous women and children.
Marking the 10 year anniversary of the campaign, which is headquartered in Victoria, this year’s events are being live-streamed and will take place all day.
The day’s events include various speakers, workshops, as well as a national fasting event for people to deepen their commitment to the cause of stopping violence.
The day began with a daybreak ceremony on the East Coast, and will end with a fast-breaking ceremony on the West Coast at 5:30 p.m. PST, followed by testimonies from witnesses.
“This ceremony is a way of starting us off with good intention, with care and with focus to help us enter into our fast and to be in fast in a good way,” says David Stevenson, CEO of the Moose Hide Campaign.
The campaign started from an idea that the co-founders Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven came across while hunting near the Highway of Tears in northern B.C. — a stretch of road infamous for the large number of Indigenous women who have gone missing or been murdered there.
The Lacertes decided to use the moose hide they harvested during the trip to inspire positive change, since then the campaign has gained momentum and is now a national movement.
Moose Hide Campaign Day is now a recognized day in B.C. for men and boys to stand up against violence towards women and children by wearing a piece of moose hide symbolizing a commitment to this initiative.
Premier John Horgan and Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, issued a statement today in support of the Moose Hide campaign’s provincial gathering and day of fasting.
“For the last 10 years, the Moose Hide Campaign has worked to end this violence,” the statement says.
“Started right here in B.C., the campaign aims to spark 10 million conversations and commitments to action.”
