The lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people were honoured in Grande Prairie on Monday night. The 12th annual Sisters in Spirit vigil was held at the Spirit Sisters Rock monument along the trails near Grande Prairie Regional College, with the ceremony including a special plaque being installed on the rock itself.
The plaque is dedicated to Delaine Lambert-English, a pioneering force behind the local Sisters in Spirit walk, who passed away in 2020. Her sister Darlene Lambert was on hand to take part in the walk and was moved by the love and support she felt from the community as a whole.
“She was dedicated to this walk, [and] put a lot of hard work and effort into it every year… and with her passing, I’m feeling very appreciative to the Hug A Sister campaign, and for the Friendship Centre for honouring her in this way.”
Grande Prairie Friendship Centre Executive Director Miranda Laroche says the loss of Delaine is something she and everyone at the centre continue to feel. She is honoured to be able to remember her immeasurable impact.
“She was instrumental in a lot of the projects and bringing awareness and advocacy for Indigenous people in our community and surrounding communities,” she says. “She always did everything in a positive way to bring change, and she is very missed.”
Laroche says, when it comes to the future of the event, she can only see it getting bigger and more impactful as the years go by. She believes the effort shown by the Indigenous community and its allies can create change to prevent future loss.
“It’s very important because it shows we’re not stopping, we are bringing the issue forward and we are not silenced… we are gaining momentum and it’s nice to see all ages and all races come together in unity.”
Sisters in Spirit events take place every October 4th across Canada to honour the memories of the more than 1,200 missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people in Canada.
