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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Heartfelt words were shared in memory of Mariella Lennie last week as missing and murdered women of the NWT were remembered at the Sisters in Spirit Vigil at Northern United Place last Thursday.

Svjetlana Mlinarevic/NNSL photo The body of 17-year-old Mariella Lennie was found floating in the water near the Con Mine dock on May 8, 1992, eight months after she disappeared. Her death remains a mystery.

Lennie was reported missing in October 1991. On May 8, 1992, her body was found floating in the water near a dock at Con Mine. She had been in Yellowknife only a month when she disappeared, having arrived from Tulita the previous September to enrol at St. Patrick High School.

Doreen Cleary, Lennie's cousin, shared her own memories of the bright 17 year old as well as those of Lennie's parents.

"Her mother called me last night and said, 'It's always important to try and stay in touch with your children because you send them away for a better life, a better education, and you never know if you are going to see them come home again,'" said Cleary. "You can still hear the pain in her voice as she spoke to me."

Cleary said Lennie was murdered, although news reports at the time could not confirm a cause of death.

RCMP were looking into Lennie's file at Yellowknifer's request but were unable to provide more information by press deadline.

The focus of the Sisters in Spirit vigil was on a demand for the federal government to launch a national inquiry into the disproportionately high number of aboriginal women who go missing or are murdered each year.

Beverly Catholique represented the family of Charlene Catholique, her sister, who went missing June 22, 1990 after accepting a ride from a stranger from Behchoko to Yellowknife while trying to catch a plane to Lutsel K'e.

Catholique said events such as the vigil help families honour the memories of those they lost and she hopes they draw attention to the number of aboriginal women who are still missing.

"(Charlene) was the kind of person who always put other people first before herself and always took care of her family," she said. "We miss her. We want the questions we've been carrying all these years answered soon. It would give us closure."

"We know that research continues to reveal racist, discriminatory and violent acts against First Nations, Metis, Inuit women and girls," said Sandra Lockhart, a representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, who demanded legislation specific to ensuring a quality of life for aboriginal citizens during her speech at the vigil.

Upwards of 100 people were in attendance to show their support and pay their respects.

"No other event in Canada brings so many aboriginal communities and Canadian citizens together to specially celebrate, honour, and support aboriginal women and girls," said Dreamweaver Basil, executive director of the Native Women's Association of the NWT, to the gathered crowd.

"We are calling on all levels of government to work with aboriginal women and representative organizations, including the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), who is a leader in this field of research and advocacy. NWAC has issued a petition calling for a national inquiry."

More than 150 Sisters in Spirit vigils were held across Canada last Thursday and 546 people lit virtual candles on the Native Women's Association of Canada website that same day.

"The Sisters in Spirit research project undertaken by the Native Women's Association of Canada in 2004 authenticated 582 missing and murdered aboriginal women in the past 20 years," said NWT Justice Minister Glen Abernethy, who spoke at the event.

"Advocates for families of missing women believe the number of missing aboriginal girls and women to be much higher. Some say between 5,000 to 8,000 girls and women."

Abernethy said he, as well as other ministers of justice, are "finalizing actions that will assist injured persons, families of missing and murdered women and advance efficiencies for rapid and sympathetic response from responders."

He was unable to discuss the actions in more detail or discuss his opinion of the petition by press deadline.

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