The Grande Prairie Friendship Centre has been given almost $50,000 to build its Spirit Sisters Rock monument to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Since receiving the money from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and LGBTQ commemorative fund, Executive Director Miranda Laroche says work on what could be the only thing families have left of their loved one can begin.
“It’s going to be a place for families and friends and loved ones to go pray and sit with the rock for their murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and two-spirited.”
The monument will be built on the Grande Prairie Regional College grounds near the Bear Creek Reservoir where a large stone and picnic tables already exist. The land and the monument stone were donated free of charge by the college.
“There’s going to be a jingle dress dancer engraved into the rock and then there’s going to be aspects of all of the different Indigenous cultures in this area. There’s going to be a copper bowl that will collect water because water is healing in our culture [and] there’s going to be a place where people can light candles, place flowers and give offerings around the rock as well,” says Laroche.
She is hoping to have the monument finished before the annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil and Walk on October 4th.