Working to end violence against women and girls

Press Release

The B.C. government is providing $250,000 this year to support the work of the Moose Hide Campaign, a growing movement of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal men dedicated to ending violence against women and girls.

“From an inspiration on the forest floor in Northern B.C., the Moose Hide Campaign has become a gift to all Canadians,” said Premier Christy Clark. “By showing their support and wearing moose hide pins, men throughout British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada are taking a stand against domestic violence – and standing up for women and children in their lives.”

Paul Lacerte, the former executive director of the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres has been a driving force behind the Moose Hide Campaign. The inspiration for the campaign came from a hunting expedition in 2011 near Highway 16 when Lacerte’s daughter Raven skinned a moose to feed the family over winter. The proximity to the highway sparked the idea that moose hide could be used as a symbol to stop violence.

“One of the most important things about the Moose Hide Campaign is that it’s a grassroots movement,” said Lacerte, now executive director, Moose Hide Campaign Development Society. “The moose hide is a symbol that spurs men in all of our communities to hold themselves accountable for their behaviour towards Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women and girls. It’s a B.C.-born innovation and I’m very thankful to have had support from First Nations and the provincial government as the campaign has developed.”

So far, the Moose Hide Campaign has distributed over 250,000 Moose Hide Campaign pins, and has secured support and participation from the Assembly of First Nations, the B.C. Legislature, the First Nations Health Society, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, and the RCMP B.C. Region. In 2013, the campaign was also presented during a special side table session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.

“Violence against women and girls is everyone’s issue and we all have a role to play in helping to end it,” said John Rustad, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. “The Moose Hide Campaign has mobilized gatherings, enabled events, and stimulated conversations throughout B.C. that are focused on bringing about positive changes in attitudes and behavior.”

Over the next four years, the Moose Hide Campaign will be expanded through community engagement and direct action projects to create a measureable impact to ending violence on a personal, community and organizational level. A complementary goal is to create a Moose Hide Campaign book to be used as a tool to engage people and provoke discussion and action against violence.

“What’s so important about this campaign is that it acknowledges the crucial role that men play – as allies and role models – in addressing violence against women,”said Mike Morris, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Men who wear their moose hide patch are making a visible pledge to protect, honour, and respect the women and children in their own lives, and to work together to prevent, respond to and support healing from the impacts of violence against all women. This project is a shining example of what B.C.’s Vision for a Violence Free BC is all about.”

Quick Facts:

• According to Statistics Canada, on average, a woman in Canada is killed in a domestic homicide every five days, and on any given day, over 6,000 women and children are living in emergency shelters to escape abuse.
• Recognizing that Aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience violence and be assaulted by their partner than non-Aboriginal women, B.C. is investing $2 million to help Aboriginal communities and organizations develop and deliver local programs as part of the three year Provincial Domestic Violence Plan.
• In February 2016, the Province co-hosted the B.C. Family Gathering event for over 350 family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The Province shared their feedback with the federal government and participants of the National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
• B.C. invests $70 million each year on prevention and intervention services and programs to protect vulnerable women and victims of crime.
• Over the last two years an additional $7 million in civil forfeiture grants has been targeted to action on violence against women.
• B.C. now has 58 projects that focus on supporting Aboriginal communities in anti-violence and prevention initiatives supported by civil forfeiture grant funding.
• B.C. is improving transportation and cell service coverage to increase public safety on highways in the north.
  • B.C. has committed $5 million to the Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan which will improve access to transportation services along the Highway 16 corridor and enable residents of First Nations communities and municipalities to travel safely to and from rural towns and villages along Highway 16.
  • Under B.C.’s 10 year “Connecting British Columbia” Agreement with Telus, more than 1,600 km of new cellular highway coverage has been completed, which includes more than 500 km of expanded cell phone service along Highway 16.

Learn More:

Moose Hide Campaign: www.moosehidecampaign.ca

Provincial Domestic Violence Plan: ow.ly/e24g303ptpS

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