Arianna Ducharme was just 11-years-old when two people barged into her Aunt Mavis Ducharme’s home in 2016 and murdered her.
A man was charged with second-degree murder, adding Ducharme to the haunting list of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
“She’s not coming back,” Arianna said. “She deserves justice.”
Arianna was one of more than 100 people who gathered at The Forks in Winnipeg on Monday for the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls awareness day.
Indigenous women and girls are three times more likely to experience domestic violence and six times more likely to be murdered, according to the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
Family members laid signs and flowers to honour their loved ones.
“We’ve all had losses, so we try to get strength from each other to heal and grieve,” said Kim McPherson whose aunt and sister were murdered.
McPherson says over the years, MMIWG2S events are growing.
“There’s more of a turn out now and more awareness,” said McPherson.
RCMP figures say there are currently more than 1,200 MMIWG2S cases, but activists and families say that number is closer to 4,000 since the 1970s.
