The Moose Hide Campaign to end violence against women and children hits the streets of Brandon

Dozens of Brandon and area community members joined a walk on Thursday to mark a commitment to end violence against women and children and help survivors heal.

The group gathered in honour of The Moose Hide Campaign — an Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending the violence. It started more than 10 years ago in British Columbia and has since spread to communities across the country.

"It's important to continue to raise awareness. Violence happens in private and in a lot of ways that we don't see," said Susie McPherson Derende, a Cree woman, community member and knowledge keeper at the walk. "We think of violence as physical violence, but there's all kinds of other violence that happens. There's mental, verbal, spiritual, emotional, psychological violence."

As she marched, McPherson Derende thought of a loved one currently suffering from violence and she said she hopes they will see themselves in a good way and heal.

For McPherson Derende, the walk honours community members who survive extreme violence, those stuck in cycles of trauma and those who have endured building new healthy lives.

"This walk is a reminder ... We're worthy of whatever it takes to be free of violence," McPherson Derende said. "That's a really hard thing for people to know, especially those who have been in abusive and violent situations … it's hard to see ourselves as worthy of anything better."

Kris Desjarlais attended the walk with Assiniboine Community College and as vice-chair of the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples' Council.

The college is one of 26 institutions across Canada that are ambassador schools for the campaign.

He said they are increasingly seeing the impact the Moose Hide campaign is having in Brandon in the diversity and number of the people wearing the moose hide pin, which represents a commitment to respect and protect women and children. 

"We wear [the pin] ... to recognize that men have an integral role to play in ending violence against women and children in our lives and our community," Desjarlais said. 

He said the walk is a chance to reflect on the active role each individual plays when it comes to ending violence. 

"There are folks out there that answer the call … don't be afraid to reach out and connect," Desjarlais said. "That kind of momentum is what makes things happen … every little thing that we do is important."

Crystal Bunn, Assiniboine Community College Indigenous Services Officer, said she walked for, "myself, my grandkids, all my children ... for relatives that experience violence."

One of her favourite moments was seeing a pair of women join the march on Victoria Avenue after learning about the campaign as they left a local grocery store.