(File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

MMIWG Conference

Melfort to host MMIWG conference

Feb 28, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Melfort is set to be host to an emotional, important day on March 8.

The Marguerite Riel Centre will play host to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls conference at the Kerry Vickar Centre.

Several speakers will address the conference, including Isabel Daniels from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba.

Daniels is a survivor of exploitation and trafficking, and has worked as an advocate for exploited persons for eight years.

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Another speaker is Tyrelle Smith, who has worked with women in the sex trade industry and human trafficking in Canada, the U.S., Argentina, Cambodia, and India.

Elder Evelyn Burns will also be speaking at the conference.

Burns has worked at the Marguerite Riel Centre since 2007, but has a very personal story to tell.

“I walked it. I went through that. I lost my mother, my sister, and my brother through that kind of stuff, through Missing and Murdered Women and Girls,” said Burns.

Burns added that her healing journey began back in 1978.

“I was an alcoholic and then I started in 1978 and then I found out there was something else, and that was Residential School Syndrome,” said Burns. “Then I found out there was another thing – this thing (MMIWG) – because I thought I had put it away, you know it was healing, and I thought that was it. I didn’t look back, I kept on going, working and whatnot.”

Val Smokeyday of the Kinistin First Nation will also be on hand to share her MMIWG story.

To register for the conference, you can call the Riel Centre at 306-752-4950.

Lunch is provided, and registration is free.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974