Couple from northern B.C. walks across Canada to raise awareness around missing and murdered Indigenous people

Charity and Cameron West are walking across Canada to start conversations around missing and murdered Indigenous people, and raise funds for organizations that help families and survivors.

Both Charity and Cameron, who are married, grew up in northern B.C. Charity is from Kwadacha Nation and Cameron is from Lake Babine Nation.

"We have so many friends from high school that are just not here anymore," said Charity.

"They've either been murdered or have gone missing from Prince George. And we are far too young to have that many losses in our life. We really just want to create a better future for our children."

Because of those personal losses, Cameron said he pitched the idea on a whim to walk across Canada and bring more attention to missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Charity said it was important for her that they walk for all missing Indigenous people. Her son's father went missing in Prince George, B.C.

One thing she learned from meeting others with similar experiences across Canada, was that her story was not unique.

"What me and my son have gone through when his dad went missing from Prince George was absolutely not a unique story," she said.

The couple started their trek on May 3 and plan to end it on the East Coast. 

By July 19 they had made it to Manitoulin Island in northeastern Ontario.

"When we were in Manitoba we got to the landfill everyone knows and we're just saddened by everything," Cameron said.

"And in Ontario we got Thunder Bay. These are towns that we go into and we feel very heavy."

Charity said wherever they go they encourage people to donate to local causes that help prevent things like human trafficking and support victims with rehabilitation, and families with finding their loved ones.

But their goal is also to bring more awareness to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

"Indigenous communities across the country, we know what's going on right?" Charity said.

"We are living this every day and our goal right now is just to open up this conversation to non-Indigenous people."