One woman from Beaver Lake Cree Nation band in Alberta is on a mission: to bring peace, reconciliation and accountability to Yellowknife for her people.

On April 3, Indigenous community members and allies will converge at The Dome SA国际影视传媒� a structure built on the frozen lake off the southwest corner of Joliffe Isand SA国际影视传媒� for SA国际影视传媒楾he Time Is NowSA国际影视传媒� peaceful rally.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are raising awareness for our people in three mains issues: missing and murdered Indigenous women, residential school survivors, and our rights,SA国际影视传媒� Shar Whillans, 49, the organiser, told Yellowknifer.

SA国际影视传媒淭his rally will unite our people together and stand up for our rights and healing SA国际影视传媒� all of it.SA国际影视传媒�

According to The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) 2014 report by the , between 1980 and 2012, approximately 1,017 women and girls who identified as Indigenous were murdered or vanished.

This equates to a homicide rate of Indigenous women roughly 4.5 higher than all other women in Canda.

Several organisations, including Amnesty International, have publicly claimed that number is much higher.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen you consider Indigenous people to be 16 times more likely to be abused than any other race, that statistic is outrageousSA国际影视传媒� I still get asked SA国际影视传媒� what does MMIW mean?SA国际影视传媒�

SEE: YK COLD CASE: What happened to Angela Meyer? [Part One]

All three issues the rally will address are personally tied to WhillansSA国际影视传媒檚 experience.

SA国际影视传媒淢y brother was murdered 18 years ago in Manning, Alberta,SA国际影视传媒� Whillans said.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause of him being Indigenous, it was swept under the rug. He was run over many times. It was brutal. Nothing was handed out SA国际影视传媒� not even a parking ticket,SA国际影视传媒�

WhillansSA国际影视传媒� grandparents are residential school survivors and their trauma permeated the entire family and lead to issues like addiction.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen youSA国际影视传媒檝e been brutalized how do you go out and have a family? ItSA国际影视传媒檚 no wonder people canSA国际影视传媒檛 face life without alcohol and drug abuse,SA国际影视传媒� Whillans said.

Whillans will share her story at the rally, along with another lady who lost her son in a violent crime in Yellowknife.

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 expect there will be a dry eye in the house. It will be so moving and needs to be seen,SA国际影视传媒�

The rally is part of Yellowknife Artists Co-operative (YAC) Fest 2022 program from the NWT Center for Arts, held in The Dome,

SA国际影视传媒淔or me, personally, itSA国际影视传媒檚 the most important part of the program,SA国际影视传媒� Roland Laufer, treasurer of YAC, told Yellowknifer.

Laufer will manage the logistics of The Dome including heating and chairs for the guest, and showers for the performers.

Interwoven in the stories will be dance and song including performances by groups Sober Crew and Chubby Cree.

Laufer said the inclusion of the art is imperative to the healing component of the rally.

SA国际影视传媒淓xpression of feelings, situations and ideas in the First Nations community is about storytelling and passing on heritage of culture. Art is not an investment, income opportunity; itSA国际影视传媒檚 innate and has the power to heal,SA国际影视传媒� Laufer said.

SA国际影视传媒淚 hope people show up regalia, ribbons, skirts, in all of their beauty,SA国际影视传媒� said Whillans.

Whillans encourages non-Indigenous people to take part in the rally, in fact said their inclusion is SA国际影视传媒渧ery important,SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭he only way we are going to bridge the gap is we get people out who can see our struggles. This rally is open to anyone and everyone,SA国际影视传媒�

Whillans said that although there been some amends made at a provincial level SA国际影视传媒� like the 20 per cent boost in cash for First Nations and M茅tis Peoples in Saskatchewan announced on March 26 SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not enough,SA国际影视传媒�

In order for reconciliation to happen, Whillans said, SA国际影视传媒渨e need some blame to be placed, some accountability.SA国际影视传媒�

Whillans is aiming to hold the rally in a new location every three weeks.

After Yellowknife, her next stop is Edmonton on April 21 and then Calgary on May 5.

The last rally was in Calgary on March 13 and around 100 showed up.

SA国际影视传媒淔rom feedback we are getting on social media, the Yellowknife rally will be huge,SA国际影视传媒� said Whillans who is open to contributions to keep the rally going.

SA国际影视传媒淎s long as there is needSA国际影视传媒� where going to go,SA国际影视传媒� Whillans said, SA国际影视传媒淲here going to stay in the face, stay up front, or we are just going to keep getting ignored. Too much has happened to our people. This needs to stop.SA国际影视传媒�

Participants are to meet at The Dome on Great Slave Lake at 1 p.m. on April 3.

The Dome is located on the southwest corner of Jolliffe Island, 200 metres from the public boat launch near Weaver and Devore.