The Waniskahtan project is designed to educate and create greater awareness about the high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and 2-Spirit (LGBTQ2S), in order to commemorate them and to prevent future occurrences.

This project will create a travelling exhibition and accompanying Activity Guide on MMIWG and LGBTQ2S, to increase awareness of the issue during the project timeline and for many years afterward through an active promotion and marketing strategy. In addition, the exhibit will be added to the existing roster of 19 exhibitions that are loaned out across Canada every year, thereby ensuring continued education, and sustainability long after the project timeline is over.

Some families of MMIWG and LGBTQ2S will be engaged throughout the project, with representation on the Advisory Committee, and by participating in the five regional sessions where they will be able to provide input into the project and in the national exhibition launch and national gathering, as well as being able to host regional exhibition events and receptions.

The National Exhibition Launch and National Gathering of some families of MMIWG and LGBTQ2S will include a national press conference which is planned for Fall of 2020. Following the official launch of the Waniskahtan exhibition it will then travel and be hosted in five regions across Canada. After project Work Plan has been completed, the Waniskahtan exhibition will be included in the LHF National Exhibition Catalogue and will be available for organizations, communities, educational institutions, and individuals to borrow for events for years to come.

The Waniskahtan project began July 2, 2019 and will run until March 31, 2021 and will be guided by a volunteer Project Advisory Committee (PAC) (made up of some families of MMIWG and LGBTQ2S and an Elder). The PAC will meet in person twice and by teleconference in between the face-to-face meetings at key points in the project Work Plan in order to guide the project work. The PAC will be comprised of six people of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) heritage and one Elder.

The exhibition is expected to be launched virtually in Fall of 2020 and will be the only exhibition available in Canada that provides a complete and current examination of this issue, and its links to the Residential School System and the ongoing impacts today, including addressing sexualized and racialized violence.

The Legacy of Hope Foundation acknowledges the financial support of Women and Gender Equality Canada

Our Exhibitions