We Care Quilt Campaign Launch pic – with Professor Leah Gazan (we care campaign founder); UW Students – Christina Hajjar (IWGS Co-oordinator), Erin Schwartz (IWGS Co-oordinator) and Marieke Gruwel (Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library and Gallery 1C03); quilter Tracy Popp; community activists Cheryl James and Chickadee Richard; and Dr. Roewan Crowe (IWGS Director).
The We Care Quilt campaign is hosting a round table discussion that addresses the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit on Wednesday, March 18th, 5:30–7:30pm at Hive, UWinnipeg. This project also is creating a quilt that will be a physical representation of the care and commitment to this national crisis.
The We Care Quilt is being made in recognition of the #WeCare Campaign, a campaign that takes a united and firm stance to ensure that the safety of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit is realized in Canada.
This campaign is led by University of Winnipeg students Christina Hajjar (IWGS) and Erin Meagan Schwartz (IWGS) with Marieke Gruwel (Manitoba Craft Museum, Gallery 1C03) who are working with Women’s and Gender Studies Professor Dr. Roewan Crowe (IWGS) and Leah Gazan of the We Care Campaign. The project is designed to create dialogue about violence against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit.
We Care Quilt Squares
“As students in a colonial institution, this project is an artistic intervention engaging others to collaboratively care and respond to this issue in a straightforward, hands on way.” (collaboratively expressed by Christina, Erin + Marieke)
This project is a collaboration between the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Manitoba Crafts Museum, the #WeCare Campaign, and The University of Winnipeg Women’s and Gender Studies Department.
“It is an honour to be joining the We Care Campaign,” expressed Crowe. “It is powerful to work with these students on this collaborative initiative that utilizes feminist art practices, such as craftivism and dialogue, to express empathy and to mobilize action to address violence against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit.”
The #WeCare campaign was established to engage Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians to take a united and firm stance to ensure the safety of Indigenous women and girls is realized in Canada. In 2013 James Anaya, former Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues for the United Nations, called the state of violence and the number of murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada a national crisis.
The #WeCare Campaign is a firm statement of solidarity to let all levels of government in Canada know that #WeCare, and we will not stop until Indigenous women and girls can enjoy safety in cities, towns, and communities throughout Turtle Island.
Contact Information
Dr. Roewan Crowe, Women’s and Gender Studies Professor, University of Winnipeg,
T: 204-786-9426, E: r.crowe@uwinnipeg.ca
