On Thursday, May 16th, 2024, St. Clair College joined forces with community partners to make a commitment to end violence against women and children. Standing against gender-based violence, St. Clair College met community partners such as the Hiatus House, the Metis Nation of Ontario, and the University of Windsor at Hotel Dieu Grace to join the Moose Hide Campaign.
The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led movement aimed to encourage men and boys to engage in ending violence against women of children and all forms of gender-based violence.
"I found out about the mouse hide campaign and thought it was the perfect fit for what we want to accomplish here," said Peer Support Coordinator Nick Metivier. "It is not just an Indigenous issue, it's across the county and we wanted to bring to people the awareness that this is a safe space here in Windsor to get support."
The event began at 9 am with vendors showcasing the many opportunities for both indigenous and non-indigenous women within the community to escape or aid others in escaping violence. Accompanied by a livestream of the Moose Hide event from British Colombia, participants were then led to a smudging ceremony in the Healing Gardens involving a live performance from Indigenous artists Gordon Nicotine-Sands and Giniw Paradis as well as speaking's from community elder and guest speaker Theresa Sims.
"It [the music] plays an essential role in the message we are trying to carry," said Giniw Paradis representing Eagle Flight Signers. "It is a privilege and a gift to carry the ability to sing, when we have that ability, it is our responsibility to use that gift for our communities that are in need."
Speeches conducted during the event highlighted the availability of support systems within the Windsor-Essex community as well as showcased the value of community support in times of crisis. Guest speakers included Theresa Sims, an elder from the Turtle Clan, and Heather Johnson-Dobransky, Director of Operations of the Hiatus House in Windsor.
"One Human being to another, it is not about race, it is not about gender, it is learning about being kind to one another," said Theresa Sims, Turtle clan Elder with the Ska:na Family Learning Centre. "In these environments, it is about learning how to be kind to one another again and we see it in the media, it is negativity, we must use that to learn to be kind to one another again."
The event ran until 1:30 pm concluding with a march around the Hotel Dieu Grace campus to demonstrate a commitment to change, a hot bowl of indigenous-style soup, and dancing to a live performance of Indigenous Music from Gordon Nicotine-Sands and Giniw Paradis.
To learn more about Indigenous advocacy and events contact St. Clair College's Indigenous Student Services or visit moosehidecampaign.ca.
- Written by: Vanessa Lewis-Callan
