Delivery of the collective artwork
The ceremony was held at the Ashukan Cultural Space on March 22, 2019. There were about 20 people, including Michèle Audette, Commissioner of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), to receive the work on the behalf of all the Commissioners.
Several influential women were there, including Mrs. Vivianne Michel, representative of Native Women, Mrs. Sylvie D'Amours, Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mrs. Marie-Josée Parent, representative of the City of Montreal, and Mrs. Nadine St-Louis, director of Sacred Fire Productions and Ashukan Cultural Space. Also, it is important to mention the presence of three senior women from different communities, as well as Melanie, from the community of Kahnawake, whose sister was murdered. The artwork has been unfolded by Cody S.Simon and Laurie Poirier, project managers of the initiative.
The art work features more than 200 people-designed embroideries that have been assembled to create a shawl, made up of the colors of the First Nations. This artwork was done by Mrs. Alice Paishk, Odjibwe from Lac Seul, Ontario.
It is with emotion and pride that Mrs. Michèle Audette received the collective artwork. The resulting shawl will remain in Quebec to educate people about the history that missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls have to bear on their backs.