Ringing the Bell for Missing and Murdered Women

This past Saturday, a group of about 60 people gathered on the St. George's lawn for a short bell-ringing ceremony in memory of the over 1181 missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. This coincided with the Walking with Our Sisters memorial exhibit at the K'omoks Band Hall. The bell rang more than 119 times, with the first 20 rings offered by Residential School Survivors. A group of gathered singers and drummers played the woman's warrior song while the bell rang.

I was deeply grateful to be a part of such a ceremony. The most meaningful part for me was one young First Nations woman who told me that before this she wouldn't be caught dead at a church. In our baptisms, we are ordained to Christ's ministry of healing and reconciliation, and I could see Christ at work among indigenous and non-indigenous people--if even just for a brief moment.

Many thanks to Kristy Bell for helping to organize and co-hosting with myself. And a special thanks to K'omoks Chief Robert Everson who welcomed those gathered to the traditional territory. The photos are thanks to Marilyn Davies, a member of the St. George's community.