HOULTON, Maine — With pristine white wool shawls bearing the names of victims of domestic violence prominently on display, more than 30 individuals gathered at the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Riverside Gymnasium on Thursday for a candlelight vigil honoring loved ones lost to such acts.
The 18th annual vigil was hosted by the Houlton Band of Maliseets’ Domestic And Sexual Violence Advocacy Center.
The majority of attendees were women and children, although there were a few men who participated.
“We remember those who have lost their lives to domestic violence,” Jane Root, executive director of the Wabanaki Women’s Council, said Thursday evening. “It is so important that we remember and honor them.”
Native Americans are victims of all forms of violence, including domestic violence, at a rate higher than any other racial group, according to statistics provided by the Wabanaki Women’s Council. Most perpetrators of domestic violence on Native American women are non-Native American men.
Susie Fink, program director for the Maliseet Sexual and Domestic Advocacy Center, urged participants to stand up and say something when they see signs of domestic violence in the community.
“It takes every one of us to step up and stand up and say, ‘This is not OK,’” she said. “So I am asking everyone here, ‘Will you not be a bystander?’’’
The event ended with ceremonial drumming and a candlelight vigil to honor those who lost their lives to domestic violence. Attendees then walked to light a special tree on tribal land to raise awareness about domestic violence. The purple lights will be on throughout the month of October.
