Red Dress Day in Canada reaches 15th anniversary

It’s Red Dress Day and the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People across Canada.

The McLeod Lake First Nation will be holding a roughly 140 kilometre walk starting in McLeod Lake, then south to Prince George today (Monday).

Christine Boyle, BC’s Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity issued the following statement.

“The red dress, inspired by the work of Métis artist Jaime Black, is a symbol of loss for the women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have been murdered or are missing. Red Dress Day is a time of mourning to acknowledge the heartache of the family and friends of those taken too soon and a day to reinforce the need to end violence against Indigenous people.

“Indigenous women and girls are more likely to be murdered, assaulted or go missing than any other women in the country. It’s crucial that we persist in addressing the underlying issues of violence, such as colonialism, racism and misogyny. We will also continue to support Indigenous self-determination, safety planning and healing through Indigenous-led initiatives that promote capacity building and culturally safe approaches.

“Following the release of Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, our government released A Path Forward: Priorities and Early Strategies for B.C. with strategies for ending violence. This includes the Path Forward Community Fund, administered by the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, to support Indigenous-led safety planning and capacity building.

“We also released Safe and Supported: B.C.’s Gender Based Violence Action Plan that further advances our commitments laid out in A Path Forward.

“To the Indigenous people and families who have faced harm, loss and grief, please know that we and so many others commit to being a voice in government who will continue to advocate for an end to gender-based violence and harm against Indigenous people.”