Why is this a day? Who is involved?

The Moose Hide Campaign is a movement that aims to bring people together across Turtle Island to help end gender-based and sexualized violence. Recognizing that Indigenous women and girls should be able to live a life free of violence, this day is a day of ceremony and solidarity that centers Indigenous ways of knowing and healing. 

The campaign began as an Indigenous-led grassroots movement in 2011, when co-founders Paul and his daughter Raven were hunting moose along the Highway of Tears in BC where dozens of Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered. With the moose hide they harvested, they cut and distributed pins to compel men and boys to commit to taking action to protect Indigenous women and children from violence. It has since expanded into a nationwide initiative involving many organizations, communities, and schools. 

On Moose Hide Campaign Day, both Indigenous and non-Indigneous Canadians of all ages and genders participate in events, a day of fasting, or wear moose hide pins to help raise awareness about gender-based violence and motivate meaningful change. Since its foundation, over five million pins have been distributed across Canada as symbols of commitment to ending this violence and sparking much needed conversations and action toward safer futures for our communities and families.