thehighwayoftears

Tears walk numbers climb

JEANNIE WESLEYS and Gracie Holland carry the Highway of Tears banner near Smithers. Centre is Birgitte Bartlett from Terrace. INTERIOR NEWS PHOTO

By MARGARET SPEIRS
Mar 29 2006

ONE WOMAN'S mission to raise awareness about the number of missing and murdered women along Hwy16, dubbed the Highway of Tears continues when a large group of walkers is scheduled to arrive at a symposium on the issue in Prince George tomorrow.
Moricetown resident Florence Naziel, who began her journey when she left Prince Rupert March 11 and walked to Terrace, rejoins a group that's grown larger along the way for the final leg into Prince George. They're timed to arrive for the opening ceremony of the Highway of Tears Symposium at the CN Centre.
Naziel reached Terrace March 17 with a police escort and accompanied by about a dozen walkers, including Tom and Christine Chipman, parents of the missing Terrace resident Tamara Chipman, and Chipman's aunts Lorna Brown and Gladys Radek, who came up from Vancouver to walk.
Radek, who has a prosthetic leg, continued from Smithers last Wednesday, March 22, joined by about 100 people, including Matilda Wilson, mother of murdered teen Ramona Wilson, Wilson's family, the Gitxsan Spirit Walkers, and, unexpectedly, Naziel.
"She just can't get enough," said Naziel's daughter, Priscilla, who drove the pilot car during her mother's journey to Terrace.
"She's supposed to [go home] but she ended up walking on Wednesday to Houston and again to Burns Lake yesterday so I guess she is going again."
Priscilla, who drove to Burns Lake to meet up with the walkers last Friday, said that while some of the group who left Smithers stopped a short distance out of town, a core group of about 20 people continued, with one person walking and then tagging off to another until the total distance of about 35km had been trekked each day.
That quick pace may put them into Prince George ahead of schedule, which would allow some rest time before the symposium, she said.
Three women from the Vancouver Eastside Women's Centre, who also walked from Rupert to Terrace, were expected to return, perhaps with some elders, to continue the walk to Prince George, said Priscilla.
She said more walkers joined the group in Burns Lake and that native friendship centres and other groups along the way provided meals.
Priscilla expected the Chipmans, who had to return home for work after journeying to Smithers, to rejoin the group for the final leg into the symposium tomorrow.
At the symposium will be various native leaders and other politicians, including provincial solictor general John Les. Senior RCMP officers will also be on hand and will be outlining the status of the various investigations relating to the missing and murdered women. To date, police officers say they cannot establish a link between between any of the missing and murdered women.
No other events are planned after the symposium but the walk could turn into an annual event, said Priscilla.
She said her mom wants to challenge other people, whether aboriginal or non-aboriginal, to walk to Vancouver to the Pickton farm where Willy Pickton is alleged to have killed 26 women. His trial is currently underway.

Submitted by Arlene Roberts

Highway of Tears - Awareness Walk MARCH 11th - March 17th.

Leaving Prince Rupert civic centre parking lot 9am March 11th arriving Terrace March 17,.

Florence Naziel is a 56 year old grandmother, and has 2 daughters and 6 sons. She is Frog clan from the We'suweten Nation and lives in Moricetown. one of Florence's cousins has a daughter who is missing from HIGHWAY 16. Highway 16 extends from Prince Rupert to Prince George, which is the northern region of BC now called the "Highway of Tears". There are currently 34 young ladies missing and/or murdered on Highway 16, most of which are Aboriginal, although there are only 7 cases open for investigation because of the legal reporting process. 5 of the 7 were last seen or their bodies found on Highway 16. 6 of the 7 cases are Aboriginal yound ladies between the ages of 15-22, the non-aboriginal young lady was 25 years old when she disappeared in 2002.

There have been so many questions about "Why" anyone would want to hitchhike or walk along the Highway. In the past, getting rides and helping each other out in samll town, village and rural areas was a-given. Now that has all changed.

Florence plans on WALKING from Prince Rupert to Terrace escorted by a pilot car and dirver on March 11th and arriving in Terrace March 17th challenging herself to walk 20-30 kilometres per day, in Honour of the families of the "Missing Women" and "Highway of Tears" and to "Keep the Awareness and concern in the forefront"!

Florence states that "As an Aboriginal person, my heart goes out to all the missing women of all nationalities throughout BC and across Canada. I challenge any Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal to continue to walk with me as we 'tag-off' with teams walking from Terrace to Prince George in May 2006 - people can 'pitch in and help us walk."

SHE ALSO INVITES everyoneto join her as she begins the Walk on MARCH 11th starting in PRINCE RUPERT at the Civic Centre parking lot at 9am.

To donate, support, volunteer (she needs water, lunch items, fruit, juices, hotel /overnight cost, breakfast cost, gas money, First Aid equipment, words of encouragement & support) CONTACT her at: 1.250.847.3751 or e-mail: go2kalum@telus.net

Thank you & Please distribute this.
Arlene Roberts

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This article is from Terrace Amnesty International Action Circle
http://terraceamnesty.dsrhome.com/

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