Acadia University is pleased to host its 5th annual Sisters in Spirit (SIS) community-campus event with events taking place on Saturday, October 4th and Monday, October 6th.

Saturday, October 4th – This day marks the 9th annual Sisters In Spirit (SIS) vigils, which are held to raise awareness and demand action for missing and murdered First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls. Each year on October 4th, SIS Candlelight Vigils are held around Canada.  The vigils show support for families and communities who have lost friends and family members and help to increase public awareness about the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.  The Wolfville SIS Vigil will be held from 11 am – 1 pm at the Clock Park on Main Street in Wolfville.

Monday, October 6th – “The Circle of Life:  Honour, Celebration and Remembrance” is this year’s theme for 5th annual Sisters in Spirit community-campus event at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia University, 6 – 8:30 pm, with an Open House from 5 – 5:45 pm at Welkaqnik, The Aboriginal Gathering Space at 52 University Avenue, Wolfville.

Acadia University will provide the setting for people to honour, celebrate and remember the life force in Aboriginal women, men and families, and in Nature, which connects us all.

Honour
The event officially starts after a smudging ceremony at 6 pm in KCIC, reception in KCIC Garden Room from 6 – 6:30 pm and gathering at 6:30 pm with an Opening Prayer, Words of Welcome, and an update about the SIS.

Celebration
Unveiling of The Six of Bees, a new suite of photographs in heroic size by John Houston, Halifax photographer/filmmaker/author, constituting a celebration of the life force and a timely reminder of its fragility.  John Houston will talk about the exhibit and facilitate a discussion about the plight of the bees, and how our lack of respect for them is now threatening the web of life, including the food that sustains us.

Remembrance
There will be an Open Mic, so people can make their own connections, tell their own stories or share a poem, concluding around 8:30 pm with a Closing Prayer.

Darlene Copeland and Diane Christmas of Mi'kmaw Family and Children Services and Lorraine Whitman from Glooscap First Nation are the lead organizers of this community-driven event.

Lauretta Saunders Scholarship
A donation box will be available for anyone who wants to donate funds to the Lauretta Saunders Scholarship. Loretta Saunders was Inuit, studying Criminology in Halifax, at SMU. She was researching incidents of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada for her honours thesis, which was near completion, when she was murdered in February 2014.

Student Videos
#IamNotnext by Debbie Toney:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY5xLypMR7o 
In Her Shoes:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4izD01chAUo 

The Circle of Life:  Honour, Celebration and Remembrance
5th Annual Sisters in Spirit Community-Campus Event 
October 6, 2014
Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Program
5 – 5:45 pm

Sisters in Spirit Mawio’mi (Gathering)

Open House: Meet, Greet, Eat, at Welkaqnik, Aboriginal Gathering Space,

52 University Avenue, Acadia University

5:45 – 6 pm

Sisters in Spirit Walk of Remembrance

from Welkaqnik to K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia University

6 pm
Smudging Ceremony

6 – 6:30 pm
Reception in KCIC Garden Room

6:30 – 8:30 pm
Evening Event, KCIC Auditorium

Honour
Opening Prayer, Words of Welcome, and an update about the SIS.

Celebrate the Circle of Life
Unveiling of The Six of Bees, a new suite of photographs in heroic size by John Houston, and dialogue about the plight of the bees.

Remember
Open Mic 

Words of Thanks

Closing Prayer

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For more information, please contact:

Dr. Cynthia J. Alexander, Acadia Department of Politics

Email:calexander142@gmail.com