Bulletin
May 5 is Red Dress Day
May 2, 2022
To: All MoveUP Members
MoveUP invites you to raise awareness and show your support on Red Dress Day. We must move forward to end the violence against Indigenous women and girls.
What is Red Dress Day:
May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Canada. This is an important day where people from all backgrounds are encouraged to wear red clothing to raise awareness for those Indigenous women and girls who are missing or murdered.
The history of Red Dress Day can be traced back to the REDress Project, an art series by multidisciplinary artist Jaime Black, who is of mixed Anishinaabe and Finnish descent.
The purpose of the project is to highlight the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women across Canada and the United States. Each red dress symbolizes an Indigenous woman who has been murdered or is missing.
Learn More:
- You can learn more about The REDress Project here.
- You can learn more about artist Jamie Black here.
This Thursday, May 5, we encourage you to wear red and to reflect on the 231 individual calls for justice from the final report of the national inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
- National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (website)
- The Native Women’s Association of Canada – MMIWG & Violence Prevention (website)
- The Native Women’s Association of Canada – What Their Stories Tell Us: Research findings from the Sisters In Spirit initiative (PDF)
Lower Mainland Activities:
CUPE and HEU invite you to participate in a gathering at Bear Creek Park in Surrey at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. It will take place on the unceded shared territory of the Katzie, Kwantlen and Semiahmoo First Peoples.
Enter the park on 140th Street (east side entrance) and look for the red dresses in the trees. They encourage you to wear red and welcome donations of red dresses in any size. Dresses will be smudged before being hung. Watch for the MoveUP table.
Show Your Support on Social Media
Show us how you are honouring Red Dress Day by tagging us on Twitter (@moveuptogether) or Instagram (@moveuptogether) with your photos.
Social media hashtags to use: #MMIWG2S #MMIWG #MMIW #NationalDayofAwareness #NoMoreStolenSisters
Community Support
The day can be triggering for those affected by MMWIG2S+ loss. If you need support, please reach out to either of these helplines for Indigenous people.
- You can connect with the MMWIG2S+ support call line at 1-844-413-6649. This line is available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- There is also First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310. They offer Indigenous crisis counselling including in some Indigenous languages.
In solidarity,
Christy Slusarenko
Chair, Women & Gender Rights Committee
Co-chair, Human Rights & Multicultural Committee
Anderson Charles
Co-chair, Human Rights & Multicultural Committee