Tanya Brooks remembered on anniversary of her unsolved murder

Family and friends of Tanya Brooks gathered in Halifax on Tuesday to mark the seventh anniversary of her unsolved murder.

Her brother Stanley Brooks joined drummers and singers in Parade Square.

"This is my sister's memorial walk and I'm here to support my family and find some closure from the public, if they know anything about this," he said.

Brooks was killed in 2009 and her body found near a school in the city's north end. She's one of hundreds of missing ormurdered Indigenous women across Canada.

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"I've heard it was like 1,200 or 1,300, but that's probably just rough-balling it. There's probably thousands that are unsolved, or [not even] looked into," Stanley Brookssaid. "This is a crisis. We're losing our women at a phenomenal rate, and it just shouldn't be happening."

Government statistics showthat 16 per cent of all women murdered in Canada between 1980 and 2012 were Indigenous. Indigenouswomen make up fourper cent of Canada's female population.

Brooks came from Millbrook First Nation and the community has gathered each year since her death. Family describe her as a happy woman who enjoyed creating art. She left behind five children and died weeks before her 37th birthday.

Halifax Regional Police have said investigators were able to trace Brooks's last movements until about 9 p.m. the night before her body was found. She left the Gottingen Street police station at 8:20 p.m. on May 10. Her body was found on May 11.

Police say they believe Brooks knew her killer, or killers, and there are people out there who know what happened.

Police are encouraging those who may know something to report it by calling 902-490-5016 or through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The case was added to the province's list of major unsolved crimes in July 2009. Anyone who helps police solve the case could receive up to $150,000.