The Moose Hide Campaign, a B.C.-born grassroots movement that supports men standing up and addressing violence, joined today to take action to improve the lives of British Columbians.
The Moose Hide Campaign aims to end violence against women and children by calling on men to be allies.
“Wearing a moose hide pin signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in your life and to work together to end violence against women and children,” says the campaign website.
Premier John Horgan joined the campaign today to hand out the one-millionth moose hide pin, representing one million Indigenous and non-Indigenous men standing together to end the violence.
"Our government is proud to be part of the Moose Hide Campaign. As men and allies, we need to speak out and be vigilant to make sure our actions and our words do not perpetuate a culture of violence," said Premier Horgan. "To know that one million people are standing together to end violence against women and children gives us hope that change, and a better future for women and girls, is possible."
To mark today's event, men from throughout the province are gathering in Victoria for a day of fasting, ceremony, workshops and healing circles to support each other in finding solutions to end violence.
The inspiration for the campaign came from a hunting expedition in 2011 near Highway 16, when the founders of the movement, Paul Lacerta and his daughter Raven, skinned a moose to feed the family over winter. The proximity to the Highway of Tears sparked the idea that moose hide could be used as a symbol to stop violence.
The campaign aims to expand their outreach throughout B.C. and Canada and has an ambitious vision of one million men fasting on Moose Hide Campaign Day in 2020.
For more information on the campaign, and to watch a live stream of the event, click here.
