Red Dress Day

"I am an indigenous woman. If there ever comes a time I disappear when I go to the grocery store and don't return. I go to run some errands and I don't return. Please know I didn't voluntarily leave my family. I'm not out partying or doing drugs. I didn't leave to commit suicide. I don't live a high risk lifestyle. If I ever do not return home. Know that someone took me against my will. Don't make excuses as to why I may not have returned home because of this lie. Look for me . Being a native woman there is a much higher risk for me to go missing."

Today is Red Dress Day, also know as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Violence disproportionately affects Indigenous woman and girls. While Indigenous women account for less than 5% of the Canadian population, they make up 16% of all female homicide victims and 11% of missing women.

This day helps bring awareness to this crisis and is a time to acknowledge the loss and grief that families and communities continue to experience.

Dennis Paul provided a history of Red Dress Day which was first observed in 2010 and is commemorated every May 5th. Red Dress Day was inspired by Jamie Black, a Metis artist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Black hung hundreds of empty red dresses in public places to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls to bring awareness to the issue. The goal of the day is to honor and bring awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or who have been murdered.

During her talk Health Director Annie Bird discussed some of the statistics which included: Statistics paint a disturbing picture of the vulnerabilities faced by Indigenous women in Canada. According to a report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Indigenous women make up a staggering 16% of all female homicide victims, despite comprising only 4% of the female population. Additionally, a significant number of Indigenous women are subjected to trafficking, with exploitation occurring both within and outside of Indigenous communities.

Elder Velma emphasized the need forward to healing is to know the need to focus on ourselves by participating in ceremonies and to acknowledge and give our compassion at funerals.

On July 20, 2023 Parkland RCMP issued a missing person release looking for 37 yr old Michelle Rabbit. According to a report published by the RCMP in 2014, 1,017 women and girls who identified as Indigenous were murdered between 1980 and 2012 - a homicide rate roughly 4.5 times higher than that of all other women in Canada. Michelle is remembered by her family and the community as her passing is strong reminder to protect the most vulnerable in our community and to remember and push for change that this violence against our loved ones will stop.

Our children really are the way forward as they were eager to participate in the round-dance unencumbered and hopefully the traditional foundation will take root as means to guide their lives and stronghold of their identity.

I was honored to participate in the give-away organized by the Wellness Centre: Daisy, Celeste and Brooke. We were lead into a procession with sweet grassing burning and the Health Centre men leading followed by the women and after one round around the Gym we distributed the gifts to all those gathered.

After this little guy was done, Stanley had said he has a real future as drummer and singer. He remind of the story told to me that was remnant of a Noah story were the man had to sing for the land to come back.