On May 16, a large group of people - including representatives of Lac La Biche County and Portage College - took part in a ceremony to mark Moose Hide Campaign Day.
According to Chantel Sparklingeyes, the Indigenous relationship coordinator for Lac La Biche County, the purpose of Moose Hide Campaign Day – which is recognized across Canada – brings awareness to the issue of violence against women and children.
She explained that local event was a collaborative effort between the County and Portage College. She said the annual event brings the community together to work towards a common goal, regardless of culture or nationality. She says the event is a part of the overall journey towards reconciliation.
“Moose Hide Campaign Day is an Indigenous-led, grassroots movement that is inclusive of all people, not just Indigenous people, where we’re coming together, and we’re raising awareness and taking a stand against violence towards women and children,” Sparklingeyes told Lakeland This Week.
The Moose Hide Campaign Day is recognized nationally and dates back to 2011 when British Columbia resident Paul Lacerte and his daughter, Raven, were on a hunting trip. The young girl skinned a moose to be cooked to feed the family over the winter months. They were hunting near a 725-kilometre stretch of Highway 16, known as The Highway of Tears. The highway passes through 23 First Nation communities and is associated with the deaths and disappearances of many Indigenous women. The Lacertes decided that moose hide could be used as a symbol to stop violence.
The Moose Hide Campaign Day event in Lac La Biche involved a community march led by Indigenous drummers that began at the Portage College campus and made its way down 94th Ave., along Beaver Hill Road, and onto Main Street, before ending at the McArthur Place Community Hall.
Those in the procession took their seats to mix and mingle, and listen to speeches, including ones by Sparklingeyes and Robert Rayko, the cultural and community facilitator for Portage College. There was also a free hot dog lunch.
Moose Hide Campaign pins – small squares of moose-hide – were also distributed to participants prior to the start of the march.
Sparklingeyes said the Moose Hide Campaign Day is important because no matter where people come from, they all can deal with the same social issues.
“Violence doesn’t have a gender or a race that they’re specific to, and so it’s important that we come together in power and numbers and work towards that common goal of supporting one another in safety,” she said.
Sparklingeyes said that each year, the awareness day draws more and more attention.
