May 5 – National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People
Today is the National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People also called Red Dress Day. This day is an opportunity to honor and remember the lives of those who have been lost to acts of violence, and to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis affecting Indigenous communities across Canada.
Indigenous women and girls are five times more likely to experience violence than any other population in Canada, and the violence tends to result in more serious harm. This is a tragedy that has been going on for far too long, and we must all take action to bring an end to it.
Red Dress Day was started in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black; the day has grown into a movement to educate and create awareness and calls to action for systemic change.
In the past 30 years, approximately 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been missing or lost their lives in Canada. This tragedy happens due to stereotyping/stigma, followed by the dismissal of family concerns, and being ignored by the police and justice system. The biases towards the perpetrators of murder or kidnapping are the additional reasons for the devastation losses.
At ARIDO, we recognize the significant impact that this crisis has on Indigenous communities and the entire country. We stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the victims, and we commit to supporting justice for those who have been affected by this ongoing tragedy.
As designers of space for humans, we have a unique role to play in addressing this crisis. We can help create safe and welcoming spaces for Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people, and we can collaborate with Indigenous designers and architects to ensure spaces consider the unique needs of Indigenous communities and end users.
We must all work together to bring an end to the violence and injustices faced by Indigenous communities. This includes acknowledging and addressing the systemic issues that have contributed to this crisis and working towards a more just and equitable society for all.
You can recognize Red Dress Day by attending an event, prayer circle or candlelight vigil hosted in your community, if any are taking place, hanging a red dress in your window, outside your home, or establishment, writing to your representatives on recognizing the Red Dress Alert, reading the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or by wearing red.
On this National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Gender Diverse People, let us all take a moment to honor the lives of those who have been lost, and to renew our commitment to working towards a brighter future for Indigenous communities across Canada.
#MMIWG2S #NoMoreStolenSisters #RedDressDay #ARIDOAwareness
Resources
W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council Society – May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Taken: the Podcast – audio series on 10 Indigenous women who have gone missing and have not been found.
Over the past several years, with the award-winning TV series Taken, the #SacredMMIWG campaign, and now the Taken podcast, the Eagle Vision production team has worked with families, law enforcement, advocates, academics, elders and knowledge keepers across the country to create a platform that helps shed light on these stories, and hopefully will bring new clues to help solve the cases.
Eagle Vision’s commitment to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and their families began when Founding Partner Lisa Meeches (Anishinaabe from Long Plain First Nation) was expecting her first daughter, and had a dream that she needed to use her skills in media to combat this issue.
