From http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/about/

A Commemorative Art Installation for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada and the United States

Over 600+ native women in Canada have been reported missing or have been murdered in the last 20 years. Many vanished without a trace with inadequate inquiry into their disappearance or murders paid by the media, the general public, politicians and even law enforcement. This is a travesty of justice.

Walking With Our Sisters is by all accounts a massive commemorative art installation comprised of 1,600+ moccasin vamps (tops) created and donated by hundreds of caring and concerned individuals to draw attention to this injustice. The large collaborative art piece will be made available to the public through selected galleries and locations. The work exists as a floor installation made up of beaded vamps arranged in a winding path formation on fabric and includes cedar boughs. Viewers remove their shoes to walk on a path of cloth alongside the vamps.

Each pair of vamps (or "uppers" as they are also called) represents one missing or murdered Indigenous woman.  The unfinished moccasins represent the unfinished lives of the women whose lives were cut short. Together the installation represents all these women; paying respect to their lives and existence on this earth. They are not forgotten. They are sisters, mothers, aunties, daughters, cousins, grandmothers, wives and partners. They have been cared for, they have been loved, they are missing and they are not forgotten.

Walking With Our Sisters Email: info@wwos.ca

Walking With Our Sisters Facebook Group: Walking With Our Sisters

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University of Alberta Beading Group

The Project

Walking With Our Sisters is a commemorative art installation to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous Women of Canada and the United States; to acknowledge the grief and torment families of these women continue to suffer; and, to raise awareness of this issue and create opportunity for broad community-based dialogue on the issue.

Walking With Our Sisters is an entirely crowd-sourced project. From the artwork, to the fundraising, even to the way the exhibit tour is being booked, it is all being fueled by hundreds and thousands of people who have chosen to become involved. Collectively we are creating one unified voice to honour these women, their families and call for attention to be paid to this issue. There is power in numbers, and there is power in art.

In June of 2012, a general call was issued on issued on Facebook for people to create moccasin tops. The call was answered by women, men and children of all ages and races. By July 25, 2013, over 1,600 vamps had been received, almost tripling the initial initial goal of 600. Offering proof that the world is indeed filled with caring souls.

Each pair of moccasin tops are intentionally not sewn into moccasins to represent the unfinished lives of the women and girls.

This project is about these women, paying respect to their lives and existence on this earth.  They are not forgotten.  They are sisters, mothers, daughters, cousins, aunties, grandmothers, friends and wives.  They have been cared for, they have been loved, and they are missing.

The art installation will exhibit to over 25 locations throughout North America and is now booked until 2019. Please see the Exhibit Tour section for the full listing locations.

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