Be Brave
I Don’t Want to Be a Statistic
I don’t want to feel the chill of fear,
Waking in the night, haunted by the whispers—
The cries of our sisters, the missing and murdered,
Echoing through the shadows, lingering in the air.
You may see the #MMIW tag,
Scrolling past it like a forgotten story,
But for us, it’s not just a hashtag;
It’s a reality, a reminder of lives lost,
Of dreams shattered,
Of women taken,
Their voices silenced.
For years, I’ve watched the arguments unfold,
Organizations and communities debating how to protect,
But where is the action? Where is the change?
Women plead for fairness and safety,
Yet the world turns a blind eye.
If murderers only targeted white men,
At the same rate we lose our Aboriginal women,
Would that spark outrage? Would that be fair?
If just as many white women vanished,
Would that stir the hearts of those in power?
#StigmaKills
Is it more acceptable for a killer to take the life
Of an Aboriginal woman than a white woman?
What if children of color disappeared in the night,
Would that matter less because they’re with their mothers?
#StigmaKills
If only sex workers were the victims,
Is that a justification for their demise?
What of the heavy equipment operators, the doctors?
Are their lives worth more?
#StigmaKills
There’s a target on the backs of our women,
Labeled as “sluts,” “hookers,” “prostitutes,”
But we are more than these labels,
We carry the weight of our ancestors,
And their strength flows through our veins.
I stood against the stigma,
But now I see the fight has shifted,
Organizations battling for sex workers,
Yet the stigma still lingers,
While men continue their violence.
I invite you, dear reader, to reflect:
How would you feel if your daughter was taken,
If her life was treated as expendable?
Imagine the fear that grips a mother’s heart,
The helplessness that comes from watching her child suffer.
I may not know why women face this terror,
But I question the world around me,
Why is it easier to dismiss our lives?
All women deserve protection,
Not just those deemed acceptable.
Stop the murders.
Stop the blaming.
Start creating safe streets for everyone,
For every child, every mother,
Every sister, every daughter.
These are the stories of my daughter Skye,
A life tangled in trauma,
Her father lost to despair,
Her innocence stolen by cruel hands,
A cycle of violence that chokes our spirit.
She was lured into darkness,
Trapped in a web of addiction and pain,
A man who claimed to care,
But fed her to the wolves,
Leaving her to claw her way back to life.
I witnessed her strength,
Yet saw her brokenness,
Raped by those who should have protected,
Left to fight alone in a world that turns away.
And still, the police have failed her,
Ignoring her cries,
Choosing to uphold a system that punishes the victim,
While the real monsters walk free.
I don’t want to feel scared of becoming the next statistic.
I want to feel safe,
Knowing that someone, anyone,
Is fighting for me,
Just as they fight for everyone else.
Let us unite, let us rise,
For every life taken is a life worth fighting for.
Together, we can change the narrative,
Together, we can create a world where all are safe,
Where every woman, every child,
Is valued and protected.
To my brothers, my fellow men,
It’s time to stand up and take notice,
To challenge the silence, to break the cycle.
Be the protectors you wish to see,
For it’s not just their fight; it’s ours, too.
#StigmaKills
#MMIW
