‘I wish ... we could wipe away some of those tears’
When Paul Lacerte and his daughter, Raven, went hunting on the remote logging roads along northern British Columbia’s Highway of Tears, they knew they might find more than game. “When we’re hunting moose, we’re also looking for human remains because there are so many missing and murdered women along that highway,” Paul said. “A lot of those logging roads we go down are exactly the same kinds of places where those women’s remains are found.” The grim reality of that 2011 hunting trip along B.C.’s Highway 16, where as many as 30 or more Indigenous women have disappeared, marked the beginning of the Moose Hide Campaign, a national, grassroots initiative that encourages men and boys, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to take a stand against violence against women. On Thursday, several hundred people — from high school students to Cabinet ministers — joined the Moose Hide Campaign as the Lacertes took their message to Parliament Hill. “We got a moose that morning,” recalled Paul, a member of the Yinka Dene of the Carrier First Nation of northern B.C. “We had been talking about the Highway of Tears and Raven said, ‘You know Dad, I wish there was a way that we could wipe away some of those tears.”
Raven was busy cleaning their kill when they realized the hide from that precious moose could become a symbol for their movement. They brought the hide home, cleaned and tanned it, then Raven and her three sisters set to work cutting it into tiny squares and hand-lettering 25,000 cards explaining its significance. Seven years later, more than 1.2 million patches of moose hide have been distributed in more than 350 communities. Raven was just 16 at the time of the moose hunt but was well aware of the dangers she faced. “It’s a reality for a young Indigenous woman like me that life is not as safe,” she said. “I’ve heard the stories of murdered and missing Indigenous women all my life. “Our family is close and connected. I knew that we could get together and make something happen and make a difference.” Among the hundreds who took part in Thursday’s ceremonies were nearly 200 Ottawa and area high school and post-secondary students who had pledged a daylong fast, with neither food nor water, to show their commitment to ending violence against women. “We will not solve the problem of violence against women — violence against Indigenous women and girls — without the help of men and boys,” said Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs Carolyn Bennett, who addressed the crowd on the steps of Parliament Hill. Bennett talked of the inter-generational nature of the violence and the harmful legacy of Canada’s residential school system. “When we talk about trauma-informed counselling, the question is not, ‘What’s the matter with him or her?’ The question has to be, ‘What happened to him or her?’ ” she said. “We have to understand trauma or we’re not going to be able to heal.” Paul Lacerte understands all about inter-generational trauma. His father attended residential schools. “Like a lot of guys in this country, I grew up in the home of a violent, alcoholic father,” he said. “That’s the story of so many guys who are in jail or who are struggling. When they were little, their dad would drink and beat them up. It’s almost as simple as it gets for some of the domestic violence cycles in Canada.” Lacerte said he and his father have now healed that broken relationship. “It’s amazing now. He’s still on his healing journey, but that’s not my story to tell. “He wears a moose hide patch and he believes in the campaign.” More information about the organization can be found at moosehidecampaign.ca