ManitobaThe legacy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people has been memorialized in a new monument in northern Manitoba that leaders say is meant to stand as a permanent reminder of the lives stolen and the families forever changed.’This is not only a place of mourning, but also a place of resilience,’ chief saysCBC News · Posted: Aug 29, 2025 8:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoA monument honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people was unveiled Friday in Thompson, Man. (Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc./Facebook)The legacy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people has been memorialized in a new monument in northern Manitoba that leaders say is meant to stand as a permanent reminder of the lives stolen and the families forever changed.”This is not only a place of mourning, but also a place of resilience. It honours those we have lost and it calls on each of us to recommit to the work of justice,” said Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Chief Angela Levasseur at the monument’s unveiling ceremony Friday in Thompson, Man.The monument features an Indigenous woman wearing a jingle dress, with a floral adorned shawl behind her. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak — the organization that represents First Nations in northern Manitoba — was responsible for constructing the monument, which was designed with contributions from elders and through consultations with families in First Nations communities across the province’s north.Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Chief Angela Levasseur says the monument is a reminder to everyone to build a future in which violence is not tolerated. (Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc/Facebook)Development began in 2019. MKO has said it’s meant to fill a gap in the north for a structure to honour MMIWG2S+, similar to monuments already in place in southern Manitoba.”Let us be reminded of our collective duty to protect our women, to protect our gender-diverse relatives, to uplift our family members, our survivors, and to build a future where violence is not tolerated,” Levasseur said during Friday’s ceremony.Misipawistik Cree Nation Chief Heidi Cook said the monument in Thompson will stand as a public commemoration and a reminder for strengthened action in systemic change.The chief encouraged everyone to carry forward in their minds the spirits of their loved ones who never came back home and commit to justice for the generations to come.A 2023 report from Statistics Canada says homicide rates against Indigenous women and girls were six times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Between 2009 and 2021, 490 homicide victims in Canada were Indigenous women and girls, the report says.”Behind every statistic is a daughter, a mother, a sister … loved and cherished by so many,” Levasseur said.”To the families and survivors … you are not alone, your courage and love carry us all forward.”
Monument honouring MMIWG2S+ lives, legacy unveiled in Thompson
