Regina police host walk to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

REGINA -

The Regina Police Service invited the community out to join them on their first Sisters in Spirit walk on Monday.

Sisters in Spirit is recognized annually on Oct. 4 to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Heather Shepard, cultural relations officer for the Regina Police Service (RPS), said the walk was planned with guidance from their Elders Advisory Council in the hopes of bringing the community together.

“For a lot of us, it’s going to be a little spiritual journey and we’re going to have some healing and some heartbreak on this walk,” said Cat Koch, who participated in the five kilometre walk from the RPS headquarters to the RCMP Heritage Centre.

Within the Regina police, many work with families on cases like these. While they attend the vigil each year, Shepard said the RPS wanted to do more.

“From patrol to major crimes to missing persons to our forensic identification unit to our victim services unit who are all with us today, it brings us all together to heal and bring awareness to missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,” said Shepard.

Koch said the day is about spreading awareness to the “huge” problem, adding it is important all these women and children know they have support from everyone, including the police.

“To know that we have their support, I can’t put that in to words that’s what we need. We need everybody and they can help get things done,” said Koch.

Once arriving at the RCMP Heritage Centre the group gathered at the Place of Reflection to lay roses in honour of the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

A vigil will be held Monday night at the same location.