The mayor of Chilliwack, B.C., says one of the city's most beloved murals will be repaired after a troubling act of vandalism.
Buckets of black paint were thrown on the mural of Inez, a Stó:lō woman, early Tuesday morning. The letters M M I P, for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, were also painted on it.
The mural was created in 2020 by Montreal artist Kevin Ledo. The Chilliwack Mural Festival said Inez is a mother, sister, daughter, cousin, and auntie. “She is loved,” the festival posted on Facebook.
Chief Darcy Paul of the Skowkale First Nation said the mural represents the missing and murdered women and the eighth generation of healing. Festival curator Carrielynn Victor called the vandalism hateful, adding that if Indigenous women see it as a hate crime, then it is.
The festival is fundraising to bring the artist back to restore the work.