Overview Our Confession Prayer of Lament Residential Schools and the Presbyterian Church in Canada Stories Truth and Reconciliation Report Orange Shirt Day Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People Indigenous Spiritual Practices and the Church Resources for Indigenous Culture & Practices Indigenous Canada Course

Ongoing Genocide. That is what the Report from the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded about the murder and disappearance of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people in Canada. 

To learn more about this Report, and the issues that it addresses, please click here:

https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/  

Red Dress Day  

In Canada, May 5, also known as Red Dress Day, is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S.)

In 2010, Métis visual artist Jaime Black used red dresses to represent the more than 1000 missing Canadian Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people. Black used the colour red in her art installation because an Indigenous friend explained to her that it is the only colour that spirits can see. It also represents lifeblood, and the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Indigenous women. In her words, Black wanted to use a “garment women wear to look beautiful” to “evoke a presence through the marking of absence.” 

Black’s visual representation through her REDress Project has since evolved into Red Dress Day. To learn more about Black's REDress Project, please click here:

https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions/ 

The day is meant to:

  • build awareness of this ongoing bloodshed;
  • honour those who have been lost; and
  • show support for their families.

You can mark this day of solidarity by:

  • Wearing red and posting it to social media. Use hashtags such as: 

#MMIWG, #MMIWG2S, #RedDressDay, #WhyWeWearRed, and #NoMoreStolenSisters

  • Hang a red dress in your window or your yard.

For seven calls to action for Indigenous Allies that go beyond Red Dress Day, please click on the following link:

https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/beyond-red-dress-day-7-calls-to-action-for-indigenous-allies/

Stardale Women's Group

Starting in Saskatchewan, but now based in Calgary, the Stardale Women’s Group has empowered the lives of Indigenous girls, strengthened their families, and inspired communities to engage in the core values of reconciliation for over 25 years. The group offers programs and services to Indigenous young women and girls to help them in overcoming systemic barriers. Stardale provides positive, supportive environments, helping to build resilience across generations. The Stardale Women’s Group wants all of the Indigenous young women and girls whom it serves to live in a strong, supportive and inclusive community where all Indigenous People have assets to thrive and are equal participants in Calgary’s future.

To learn more about Stardale, please click here:

https://www.stardale.org/ 

Stardale Women's Group Presents The Road

The Road is an award-winning short film starring the Indigenous young women of the Stardale Women's Group. It explores various themes related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the legacy and inter-generational impact of colonialism in Canada.

Your rental of The Road goes towards increased social and wellness programming, basic needs, and better lives for many Indigenous young women and girls, their families and their communities in Calgary, Alberta.

For more information about the film, click this link: 

https://www.stardale.org/theroad

For a CBC news article about The Road, please click here:

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1909949507536

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