It’s been almost three years since the death of Leah Anderson, a 15-year-old girl from Gods Lake Narrows and no arrest has been made. Anderson’s body was found extremely beaten near a snowmobile trail, and RCMP deemed it to be a homicide.
A walk that kicked off in Thompson on Aug. 10 is about raising awareness, says Leah’s mother Sally Anderson. “I have been struggling with my healing. There isn’t a day that goes by without thinking about all this, and thinking about my late daughter. My family is all sticking together, and we need justice now, because there has been none.”
Josie Stevenson organized the walk and says it’s been in the works since May. The walkers will make four stops along the way in Ponton, Grand Rapids, Fairford and finally Winnipeg. During each stop, Stevenson says, there will be people meeting the walkers, and they will camp out in the evenings.
Food, water and camping gear have been donated by family members and friends, and in attendance are Leah’s brothers and sisters, as well as other immediate family, and community members from Thompson and Gods Lake Narrows.
Anderson hopes to have a ceremony in Winnipeg celebrating the life of her daughter, and Stevenson hopes to walk to the legislature building and explain why they made the trip.
There are cars following the walkers along Highway 6 with supplies and places for walkers to take a break and ride in the cars. Before leaving, Anderson said she can feel her daughter there with them. “I know Leah and her spirit will be with us while we walk, and we all miss and love her very much. As we struggle to heal, that’s when we all come together.”
Both Anderson and Stevenson wish to thank the communities, organizations and family and friends for taking on this walk, and helping raise awareness for the unsolved death of Leah Anderson, as well as the other unsolved deaths of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
