Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) is collaborating with the Tears to Hope Society to create an artistic commemorative marker, the Pillar of Strength, to honour the lives of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been found murdered along Highway 16, known as the Highway of Tears, and to recognize and support the MMIWG family members who continue to carry their loved ones’ memories and advocate for justice. We are aiming to complete and unveil the Pillar in May 2027.

CSFS and the Tears to Hope Society are seeking proposals from Ts’msyen artists who are interested in designing the artwork for the four cedar panels of the Pillar of Strength. While designs must reflect the commemoration of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) along the Highway of Tears, they must also highlight the strength of our women.