​20 Years of Action: October 4th on unceded Algonquin-Anishnaabe Territory, 2024

a reflection written by Chrystal Toop

This past Friday, October 4th marked the 20th annual Families of Sisters in Spirit Vigil to honour
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SpiritLGBTQQIA+. This somber day has
always been for families and friends, in and around Ottawa, to flood Parliament Hill holding
enlarged photos of loved ones with their names.

This movement began with a seemingly small action to show the outside world that we have not
forgotten our missing and murdered. When Bridget Tolley’s mother Gladys was murdered, her
search for truth and justice led her to Parliament Hill, photo in hand.

Sadly, the necessity of this day has not diminished, but amplified. To commemorate a 23rd year of
her search for accountability, Bridget cut and burned her hair in a ceremony, with help from her
great grandchildren and supporters.

Nations across Turtle Island have different teachings about the sacredness of hair. The ceremony
of cutting hair represents the significance of a loss. Whether you cut your hair to honour
someone in death, or to honour the grief you carry for the loss of your safety, the practice of
growing and braiding hair to cut off is a ceremony of reflection and release.

Each day Indigenous women and girls grow up knowing they are overrepresented in correctional
and child welfare institutions, missing and murdered statistics. This day is a protest of no more
stolen sisters. This day is a necessary movement to shout, in the first world country that is
Canada, we are not expendable or invisible. Indigenous women matter.

Like most First Nations, Inuit and Metis people I carry my own stories of grief and loss and have
attended many, many Sisters in Spirit Vigils over the years to honor people who impacted my life
and were taken away in tragedy. On this day, I was accompanied by loved ones to the Hill and
this was a form of safety planning. This was one way that I could try to offer myself care and
harm reduction, during and after what I knew would be an emotionally difficult afternoon.

Even though we ended in ceremony with the day’s vigil, I began to formulate a plan for more
self-care and wellness.

As a tattoo revivalist, ink sessions are one way to practice my ancestral spirituality. I chose to
end this solemn day of mourning in a good way, by receiving clan marking with my family.

This healing way we have with lots of laughter helped to carry us from the bittersweet reunions
with others in this movement, all the way home that night.

#NoMoreStolenSisters    #SistersInSpirit

Photo on right: Great Grandma Bridget passing the mic to future generations.

Photo left:
Bridget Tolley, Algonquin Anishnaabe/Kitigan Zibi FN holds a enlarged photo of her mother, text says “Gladys Tolley” and “Killed 2001”

Three Algonquin Anishinaabekwes in red shirts, standing shoulder to shoulder.