A vigil for a missing Indigenous woman who was found dead in Richmond earlier this month is being held Saturday, Sept. 3.
Tatyanna Harrison was found on May 2, but not positively identified until Aug. 6. Unaccounted for more than eight weeks, Tatyanna was originally reported missing by her mother Natasha Harrison on May 3.
Working closely with Natasha since Tatyanna went missing, Lorelei Williams, founder of Butterflies in Spirit and Skatin and Sts’ailes Nation member, says holding the vigil as soon as possible after Tatyanna was found is important. It is also coming up on the anniversary of when Chelsea Poorman, Kawacatoose Nation member, went missing.
“It’s to honour and remember Tatyanna and raise awareness of the issue,” Williams told CityNews.
Bringing together Tatyanna’s family, along with Poorman’s and Noelle O’Soup’s family — a missing 14-year-old Indigenous girl from Key and Saulteau Nations who was found dead May 1 — Williams says the vigil is a chance for the three families to come together to call for justice for their daughters.
“There’s a reason why Noelle and Chelsea are included. I feel like there’s so much that has happened in all of the cases, some similarities, but also the negligence, the discrimination, and the racism from the Vancouver Police Department in all of those cases,” Williams said.
“The families are showing their support for Tatyanna at this time, but Tatyanna’s family wants to bring light to all of these issues that have happened in all of these cases,” she added.
Williams says a change in the system is needed after all three Indigenous women were found dead after being reported missing.
FULL STORY: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/08/25/indigenous-woman-vigil-tatyanna-harrison/
