Today the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) hosted the Moose Hide Campaign community walk in Thunder Bay.

The walk was part of the national Moose Hide Campaign Day (May 15, 2025), which focuses on ending domestic and gender-based violence. As a police service, we see firsthand the destruction intimate partner violence and gender-based violence has directly on its victims, and the indirect damage it does to a community. We are grateful to ONWA for organizing this walk, and to the Nishnawbe Aski Nation for supporting it. We’d also like to share our gratitude to the community organizations across our regions that hosted similar events to support this important campaign.

More background about the Moose Hide campaign (provided by ONWA) follows:

The Moose Hide Campaign began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. It has since grown into a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians from local communities, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations – all committed to taking action to end this violence.

Since the Campaign began over 10 years ago along the Highway of Tears, thousands of communities and organizations across Canada have held Moose Hide Campaign events and joined the annual Moose Hide Campaign Day ceremony and fast. People of all ages, genders and backgrounds are invited to take part in Moose Hide Campaign activities.

The campaign is grounded in Indigenous ceremony and traditional ways of learning and healing. A cornerstone of the Moose Hide Campaign is the moose hide pin. Wearing the pin signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in your life and speak out against gender-based and domestic violence. To date, over five million moose hide pins have been distributed free of charge to communities, schools, and workplaces across Canada.