A new support group for families dealing with the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women holds its first meeting in Saskatoon tonight.
The goal of Project Hope is to provide an informal setting where people struggling with this issue can share their stories.
Shane Henry, one of the group’s organizers, says they are hopeful Project Hope addresses an existing gap.
“We all know that this issue is a prevalent problem but what about the families, the individuals, who are just stuck at a crossroads in regards to the pain that they’re dealing with,” he asks? “Often times the services that are provided to them are more or less kind of dealing with police, logistics type things, but what about their personal and emotional health?”
Henry says the group plans to follow a format similar to other non-profit support organizations, such as Narcotics Anonymous, where participants are allowed to direct their own healing process.
He adds he knows firsthand how painful this issue can be as he has had both family and friends who have gone missing in the past.
The meeting takes place at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre beginning at 7 p.m.
Henry says Project Hope aims to also expand to other centres including Regina, Ile-a-la Crosse and La Ronge.
A number of organizations are currently pushing the federal government to launch a national public inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.