by Katarina Ziervogel

Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than any other women in Canada. At this moment, there are a great deal of campaigns and non-profit organizations across North America to raise awareness, and to be against any form of violence towards Indigenous women and girls.

Moose Hide Campaign is one of these campaigns. It is a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who stand up for a great prevention against any violence towards Indigenous women and girls.

You might ask what is the significant meaning behind the title of “Moose Hide” of an important campaign? It sprouted inspiration to an Indigenous man named Paul Lacerte who was having a father/daughter bonding time with his daughter, Raven who were hunting moose for cultural purposes. They happened to be hunting near the infamous highway known as “Highway of Tears” between Prince George and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, where several Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or found murdered.

Paul Lacerte and his daughter, Raven took the opportunity to tan Moose Hide and to cut it in squares for all men to wear as a pin and to show their support towards the campaign. The use of Moose Hide is to represent an Indigenous innovation because Indigenous people have a sacred connection with the Earth since the beginning of the time. That signifies the connection of the campaign to the prevention of violence towards all Indigenous women and girls because they, too, share the sacred connection within the community and to the Earth.

Respectively, all Indigenous men and boys should not be overlooked as they are at higher risk of violence than non-Indigenous men and boys across Canada. So, not only does the Moose Hide campaign advocates for the prevention of violence towards Indigenous women and girls but it brings together a group of all Indigenous men and boys to put stop of this intergenerational trauma and the oppression against Indigenous people for years. They earn a great deal of importance. Indigenous men and boys stand up together and to grow as a community that should not go ignored in this country.