On March 22, 2004, the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) will launch the Sisters in Spirit Campaign -- a one-year campaign -- to lobby the federal government to establish a $10 million fund for research and education related to violence against Aboriginal women.

The Anglican Church of Canada is actively supporting the campaign through its joint working group on Indigenous justice issues. The working group has produced liturgical resources written by Rev. Cheryl Kristolaitis, which are designed for use as part of a Service of the Word or during a celebration of the Eucharist, and include a deeply moving ceremony for building a ‘Memorial Cairn' to missing Aboriginal Women.

A poster for the Sisters in Spirit Campaign was produced through a partnership of The Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, and the United Church of Canada. The poster has been distributed to every Anglican parish through the January 2004 MinistryMatters mailing. Additional copies are available from the Native Women's Association of Canada. To order, people can call or e-mail.

Key goals of the Sisters in Spirit Fund include:

• Research to document the number of and circumstances around Aboriginal women missing or killed in Canada.
• Public education regarding underlying causes of violence against Aboriginal women.
• Educational workshops on missing women and their families.
• A hotline and registry to report disappearances and register statistics.