The Walking with Our Sisters (WWOS) memorial creates a sacred space in which the spirits of missing and murdered Indigenous women, two spirit people, and children are honoured and continue to live in the hearts and minds of their families and communities. WWOS Toronto will be open to the public from October 14-29, 2017 at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre (near Donlands and Danforth).
This commemorative art installation features over 1,900 pairs of unfinished moccasins (vamps) created and donated by hundreds of caring and concerned individuals to draw attention to the untimely and unjust disappearances and deaths of valued community members. WWOS is more than an art installation, it is a ceremony that creates space for the community to collectively remember, honour, and grieve loved ones. The vamps are intentionally not sewn into completed moccasins and represent the unfinished lives of women and children taken from our communities. The ceremony is traveling for a total of 7 years to communities across Canada and the United States. Each community is responsible for fundraising to cover the costs of hosting the ceremony. WWOS Toronto is organized entirely by volunteers and guided by community Elders.