By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — Sometimes it takes a lot of noise to wake people up.
That’s the thinking behind an initiative taking place in Kenaston, where two churches are ringing their bells to raise awareness of the high rate of violence against aboriginal women in Canada.
Their efforts will reach a pinnacle this Wednesday when, beginning at 2 p.m., the churches will ring their bells a total of 1,181 times.
That’s one ring for each and every one of the 1,181 aboriginal women reported as murdered or missing in Canada between 1980 and 2012, as highlighted in a report issued by the RCMP last year.
Rev. Tracey Taylor, one of three associate priests serving the Midlakes Parish of the Anglican Church of Canada, said the churches were inspired to join in the initiative along with other cathedrals and churches across Canada.
She said she believes that Anglicans and other Christians need to raise awareness of the situation facing aboriginal women and thus join the voices calling for change.
“If the church can’t draw attention to this . . . who will?” she asked, adding, “Part of our baptismal vows is to uphold the dignity and (demand) justice for every human being.”
According to a news release, the initiative is part of a 22-day period of prayer and renewal that marks the end of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to respond to the legacy of Indian residential schools in Canada.
The period lasts from May 31, the Commission’s last day, to June 21, which is being celebrated as National Aboriginal Day.
“Historically, church bells were used to alert a community to an emergency,” Rev. Mike Sinclair of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina was quoted. “Surely, 1,181 missing and murdered women is an emergency.”
On June 3, the bell at St. Columba Anglican Church in Kenaston rang for a sustained period beginning at 2 p.m.
Last Wednesday, they were joined by St. Andrew’s Catholic Church a couple of blocks over. This week will see the culmination of the churches’ efforts.
A group of students from Kenaston School, including this year’s seven graduates, will split up and keep the bells ringing for between 60 and 90 minutes, until they have tolled 1,181 times.
Taylor said everyone is welcome to come by and assist with the bell ringing, or just to sit in the pews and pray.
Part of the problem is changing public perception about violence against aboriginal women, said Taylor, adding, “When you hear on the news that it’s a native woman, people’s attitudes change.”
Instead of making assumptions or relying on stereotypes, she said, people should ask why so many native women end up in dangerous or violent situations.
She acknowledged that the lack of a large, visible native population in the area may make it easier to ignore the issue.
“You only have to go to Saskatoon and you’re in the middle of a very diverse culture,” she said. “We’re a little homogeneous here . . . That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware.”
Taylor also countered that there’s a larger aboriginal population here than many might think, though she joked that some native people are “undercover.” For instance, her mother is Cree.
Ringing the bells over the last two weeks has attracted more and more attention, said Taylor, adding, “People were driving by and looking, wondering what we were doing.”
Taylor, who also serves All Saints Anglican Church in Davidson, said she planned to go through some activities on the subject with students at the Wednesday program there.
She said it’s important to engage with younger generations in calling for justice, especially given that many of the murdered or missing women have been teenagers or young adults.
“The hope is that this is not just a flash,” she said. “It’s just a great thing for the church to be doing . . . The church needs to be real in the world.”