A rally was held Sunday evening in Saskatoon’s Kiwanis Park to show support for Dawn Dumont Walker.

Walker was found Friday in Oregon with her seven-year-old son Vinnie after an interagency and cross border investigation. She’d been reported missing on July 24th and her truck was found abandoned the next morning in Chief Whitecap Park. Police say it is believed she crossed the border illegally and is currently being detained.

Rally organizers say that it is their position that a broken legal system, justice system, policing system, and social system, on top of broken treaties and genocidal policies of colonialism and destruction and privilege which have benefitted many at the cost of many others, are what is at play here.”

Dawn Dumont Walker is the executive operating officer for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.

The news release from her supporters states, ” Despite her accomplishments and credentials, it appears she felt she had no choice but to leave her life behind, fleeing with her 7-year-old son, Vinnie (Vincent). This is one of the few times whereby a missing woman has not been found dead but has actually been located, and located alive; but because she is an Indigenous woman, there appears to be a disconnect with this being a ‘happily ever after’ or ‘good news’ story. She is instead being vilified, demonized, blamed, detained, and perhaps even charged and jailed for ‘illegally crossing a border.’ We fervently hope this will not be the case and we fully support the GoFundMe organized by IdleNoMore.”