Many people were seen taking part in the walk on Tuesday. Two walks were held to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence. (Matt Ryan/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Domestic violence prevention

ML area supporters walk to raise awareness of issue of domestic violence

Aug 30, 2022 | 6:05 PM

The Meadow Lake area community came together to take part in a series of walks to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence.

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council organized two walks, one on Aug. 28 and one on Tuesday, and invited everyone to participate.

“We had domestic violence awareness walks in our communities in the past. However, they haven’t been consistent. We’ve re-started the walk last October. We had a walk from the RCMP station to the Lions Park,” Meadow Lake Tribal Council’s senior director of health, Marcia Mirasty, said.

She noted the organizers wanted to hold this walk this year to honour the memory of Charlene Aubichon.

Aubichon tragically died in the fall of 2021 at the hands of her estranged husband in Meadow Lake.

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Mirasty said all people were welcome to take part in the awareness walk.

“All of our Meadow Lake First Nations were invited, and anybody who was willing to participate. It was open to all walks of life, every faith system, every organization, whether you were Indigenous or non-Indigenous.”

Mirasty hopes the walks help get people talking about the issue more.

“We’re hoping that people will have more conversations around domestic violence, and reach out to those who are maybe struggling, asking if there is anything they can do to help, if they are okay, be a support system and an ally,” she said.

Mirasty noted the walk organizers want people to network with the resources available and aim to break cycles of domestic violence in their own family lines.

“We’re hoping that people will begin to have healthy conversations, and end cycles of domestic violence.”

She added that domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, continues to be a significant problem in Saskatchewan.

“We have the highest rates than anywhere else in Canada, and we want to decrease those rates in Saskatchewan, and clearly in northwest Saskatchewan.”

The awareness walks were a way to demonstrate people’s alliance to ending domestic violence, “to show their support as a community, as Meadow Lake and Flying Dust, as area First Nations and non First Nations, friends, colleagues and agencies.”

Mirasty added it’s important for people to discuss what they are doing to end domestic violence, and “how they would like their children and their grandchildren to be raised in a violence-free home.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW