BAKER LAKE - About 40 elders, youth and adults took part in a special walk to raise awareness of violence against women in Baker Lake this past month.

Close to 40 children, adults and elders took part in a special Take Back the Night Silent Walk in Baker Lake this past month. - photo courtesy of Martha Hickes

It was the second year in a row Baker Lake held a Take Back The Night walk against violence, and to remember the massacre of 14 female students at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, Que., on Dec. 6, 1989.

On that horrific day, Marc Lepine, then 25, shot 28 people at the school before turning his weapon on himself.

Lepine claimed he was fighting feminism when he began his rampage by shooting nine women in the first room he entered, killing six.

He then roamed the institute killing 14 women and injuring 10 more, as well as injuring four men.

Organizer Martha Hickes said this year's walk attracted twice as many participants as the community's inaugural effort in 2009.

She said 15 people, including three elders, took part in 2009, and that number rose to five elders, 10 adults and close to 20 children this year.

"It's still small numbers, but I'm so happy we were able to double the number from last year," said Hickes.

"This year, we did a silent walk because actions can speak louder than words in voicing violence has to stop.

"Violence occurs mainly at night, especially sexual violence against women, but there are many forms of violence, including sexual, physical and mental.

"Violence also happens against men, children and elders, not just women, and it especially pains me to see children and elders living in fear."

Emotional

Hickes said when it comes to emotional and/or mental violence, telling a person they can never do anything right -- or any other belittling remarks -- can be just as devastating.

She said when she speaks about it in Inuktitut, the brain and heart are a lot more powerful than the body and bones.

"After the walk, when some people came to shake my hand and say thank you, it made everything worth the effort to take a stance against some things that have been allowed to go on for too long.

"I feel for the elders who walked with us to show their support, and I have friends who were traumatized as children and it still haunts them silently every day.

"The violence has to stop."

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