Red Dress Day – observed on May 5th – is also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People. This day was first commemorated in 2010 in response to Jaime Black’s REDress Project. May 5th is for honouring and raising awareness of the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who have been disproportionately subjected to gendered and racialized violence in Canada.
In Thunder Bay, consider joining the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S+ event at 12pm on May 5th at the Spirit Gardens in Marina Park. This memorial walk & vigil is hosted by Shelter House and Beendigen; the opening ceremony will be conducted by Elder Rita Fenton and a feast will follow the ceremony at the Port Arthur Legion Branch 5. Attendees can submit name(s) of loved one(s) to be read aloud at the vigil using the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/eB7k0WhGam
Take some time to explore Safe Passage, a website created by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) dedicated to ending the ongoing MMIWG2S+ genocide and ensuring the continued safety of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. This community-driven, trauma-informed, and survivor centered initiative tracks cases of MMIWG2S+, provides resources and public education about the MMIWG2S+ genocide, and commemorates and honours stolen loved ones.
Banner Photo: Jaime Black, #REDressProject, Canadian Museum for Human Rights
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