Red flags are on display outside of Lethbridge City Hall to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, February 14, 2023. (Photo: J. Goulet - LNN)

By Justin Goulet

Red flags at Lethbridge City Hall honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Feb 14, 2023 | 10:48 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is honouring Indigenous women and girls.

Walks are held throughout communities across Canada every February 14 to recognize the memory of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people who have been lost or who are missing. A Women’s Memorial March is planned to take place at 12:00 p.m. in Lethbridge on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

Additionally, this year, the City of Lethbridge Indigenous Relations Office has placed 4,000 red flags on the grounds of City Hall to commemorate and bring awareness to the estimated number of missing Indigenous women and girls.

Echo Nowak, Indigenous Relations Specialist with the City of Lethbridge said, “Today, we have placed a visual reminder around City Hall of just how many Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people have been lost across the country.”

The red flags can be seen outside of Lethbridge City Hall along Stafford Drive, February 14, 2023. (Photo: J. Goulet – LNN)

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Charlene Bruised Head Mountain Horse, Indigenous Relations Advisor said, “The flags are certainly a conversation starter and in impactful way to bring this hard and complex issue into everyday discussions of those who see it and pass by.”

“The more we talk and help to share knowledge about the realities Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people face, the more understanding we can achieve in our community,” Bruised Head Mountain Horse said.

The City of Lethbridge implemented a workplan in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2015.

City Councillor Belinda Crowson said, “One of the reasons City Council permanently proclaimed October 4 as Sisters in Spirit Day in 2021, is to help raise awareness of issues like the disparity of deaths the Indigenous community experiences.”

Crowson added, “Displays like the one at City Hall today show the City has an ongoing commitment to supporting and valuing the issues that face many in our community, while acknowledging there is always more work to be done.”

The City of Lethbridge workplan includes 25 recommendations as well as a series of projects aimed at addressing social, economic, cultural, and institutional barriers facing Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples in the community.

The red flags will be displayed outside of City Hall until Tuesday evening, February 14.

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