A husband and wife from British Columbia have just concluded a cross-Canada journey, spreading awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Charity and Cameron West of Prince George have been walking across Canada since May 4 and arrived in St. John’s this week.

Charity West, who is from the Kwadacha First Nation explains the hand prints covering their pickup truck which they used on the walk.

They represent Indigenous people who have been murdered or gone missing. One of the more recent are the mother and father of Chantel John, who was murdered in Conne River in 2019. Orange prints represent the loved ones of children in the residential school system, pink women, and blue men who make up an “extremely high” proportion of people who have been murdered or gone missing in Canada. Rainbow prints represent 2SLGBTQIA+, including two-spirited, Indigenous people.

West says she became quite emotional when they parked their truck at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in Canada and she reflected on the stories they heard and the people they met on their journey.

She carries a picture of her son’s father, missing since 2012, and she took it out and “couldn’t stop crying” as she reflected on his life and offered prayers for missing and murdered Indigenous people across the country.