Picture: From Splatsin
A special walk is being held today in Enderby.
The Red Dress Walk is to remember all missing and murdered women.
Jody Leon with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Drone Search team says everyone is welcome.
“It’s not a denominational thing, whereas only one part of the community is welcome. We always have acknowledged that issue of murdered or missing women is not one that only affects indigenous women. It affects non-indigenous women too.”
The walk begins at 11 am from the Bawtree Bridge in downtown Enderby and goes to the Splatsin Community Centre.
Walkers will hang red dresses along the route.
“Lots of communities will be doing this. It is something that is acknowledged within indigenous and non-indigenous communities as the symbol of murdered and missing women.”
Jody reminds us that events like this are part of the effort to ensure these women are not forgotten.
“Many. many women and their families are impacted and affected and we will continue to acknowledge and honour the women from Splatsin
that have gone missing or murdered as well as people that were guests within our nation.”
Four women are still missing in the North Okanagan – Nicole Bell, Ashley Simpson, Caitlin Potts and Deanna Wertz.
Meanwhile, Jody is disappointed no arrests have been made yet in the death of 18 year old Traci Genereaux, whose remains were found buried on a Salmon River Road farm.
She says it was hoped there would be answers by now for her family and the community.
Without a resolution, there is no sense of a feeling of healing or any level of closure of safety..
