Annual Toronto ‘strawberry ceremony’ honours missing and murdered Indigenous women for 15th year
Families and supporters come together on Valentine’s Day in memory of women, girls and two-spirit people lost.
Two drummers play and sing along as jingle dancers perform. (Jennifer Nguyen/The Canada Files)
Written by: Jennifer Nyugen
Since 2005, Valentine’s Day has been a time for families and supporters to gather at the Toronto Police Headquarters and attend the annual strawberry ceremony, which honours missing and murdered Indigenous women.
“We need to show that we're there for each other,” said 23-year-old Toronto resident Leanne Grosbeck. “Because who else is going to be there for our community?”
The ceremony was filled with speeches, songs and jingle dances. The organizing committee reported about 500 people attended this year, which was “smaller than usual due to the cold and the long weekend.”
The name “strawberry” stems from the fact that strawberries are the first fruit that comes after winter. Organizer Audrey Huntley described them as a “symbol of hope.”
Attendees occupy the Yonge Street and Carlton Street intersection as they travel to YMCA for the feast. (Jennifer Nguyen/The Canada Files)
Elder Wanda Whitebird from Mi’kmag First Nation in Nova Scotia has led the ceremony for 15 years. According to Huntley, the Elders of Indigenous communities have the ability to summon spirits. Therefore, Whitebird can call the missing and murdered women to the ceremony.
“We give thanks to the lives of the women who are here with us today, and we give thanks for the lives of the women who aren't with us today,” said Whitebird in her opening speech. “Some of us are here because of their direct family, and others are here because they hurt.”
A community feast followed the ceremony. It is served by members of the Native Men’s Residence, more commonly known as NaMeRes. It is a charity in Toronto that addresses homelessness among Indigenous men.
History of the strawberries
Roxanne Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band in British Columbia was 26 when she was murdered in Jan. 2015 by her in-laws in Penticton, B.C. Her cousin Michelle was one of the speakers at the Friday ceremony.
“I love my sisters. I'm very scared. Are they next?”
Advocacy group No More Silence organizes the event annually on the same day and at the same location along with other individuals and organizations in the February 14th organizing committee.
The tradition was initiated after Huntley, who is also co-founder of No More Silence, moved to Toronto from Vancouver, where there is a women’s memorial march through the Downtown Eastside area every year on Valentine’s Day.
“We started here to show that [the missing and murder of Indigenous women] doesn’t just happen in Vancouver,” said Huntley. “It happens all across the country. This country is founded on the blood of Indigenous women and girls.”
According to Huntley, a way to minimize the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women is improving housing, education and employment conditions.
“If we could just alleviate those things that make women vulnerable, we would be preventing a lot of violence.”