Reflections on Red Dress Day

If you’ve ever visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, you might have seen an exhibit showing multiple red dresses hanging in a forest. Originally an art project, this exhibit, The REDress Project by Jaime Black, inspired what would become Red Dress Day, or the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Taking place annually on May 5 since 2010, it is a day of solidarity and respect towards the victims and their families. According to Statistics Canada, 63 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Additionally, Indigenous women make up two to three per cent of the Canadian population, yet represent around five to sven per cent of homicide victims. So why are Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people so often victimized and targeted? What are the root causes of this issue?

According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the causes are: First, colonization established a system that didn’t value Indigenous rights or culture; second, sexual objectification based on colonial stereotypes perpetuates cycles of trauma and abuse; third, the treatment of Indigenous people in institutions like residential schools led to cycles of poverty and instability, which exposed Indigenous girls to violence and a lack of support resources (nwac.ca). To learn more about matters relating to Red Dress Day, I spoke with two Indigenous teachers here at École secondaire Neelin High School, Ms. Sinclair and Ms. Moar. Some responses have been edited for length.

Q: What does Red Dress Day mean to you?

Sinclair: Red Dress Day to me is an awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, that have gone missing since the Helen Betty Osborne case in The Pas, Manitoba. Helen Betty Osborne was a Cree Indigenous woman from Norway House reserve who was kidnapped and murdered in The Pas, Manitoba. Commissioners from the Manitoba Justice Inquiry in 1991 said that “the only reason she was murdered was because she was an Indigenous woman.” So, Red Dress Day is an awareness about not only missing and murdered (Indigenous women and girls) but also the history behind the Helen Betty Osborne case and the Manitoba Justice Inquiry that was born from this case, along with other cases involving Indigenous people. It has to do with the systems that contributed to the Manitoba Justice Inquiry. The themes of racism, misogyny, discrimination, etc. and how people interact within all those spectrums and how it points to the narrative in current society that Indigenous women are not important and that, well, in fact, we are very important. Traditionally, we were a matriarchal society and we’re slowly taking steps to take back our roles.

Moar: This day brings awareness and acknowledgement for missing and murdered girls, women, and two-spirit people. We are honouring our people who have been subjected to violence and helping to support families affected by these tragedies.

Q: Do you think society is doing enough to protect Indigenous women and girls? What would you like to see improved?

Sinclair: I do not think society is doing enough, I think that the 231 recommendations, after the national inquiry report came out, should be considered very seriously. The recommendations do touch on addressing basic needs to live in society. It has to do with housing, financing, access to resources, access to our own cultural awareness, access to resources that support us as First Nations people and women and girls, to be able to rightfully take our place. We are slowly taking our place with the more help we receive, (and it will be) better off for everyone, not just for us.

Moar: No I do not. We need to bring more awareness of MMIWG to our communities. I know Winnipeg does their annual walk and their campaigns. I know social media is big. When I was reading information, they took away the funding. So why would you take away the funding if it’s still going on?

Q: What do you think people should reflect on this day? How do you personally observe this day?

Sinclair: I think people should reflect on how they play a role in the overall picture of missing and murdered Indigenous women. So, if you’re looking at where you come from, where you work, where you’re surrounded by the history of the land that you’re on. The original inhabitants of the land, if you look at the relationships of the history of the people with the land and the people that colonized the land, then you can understand your place in relation to what’s happening. And then people can decide for themselves how they would like to bring more awareness and/or to continue educating or for advocating for resources and support for the families of MMIWG. Because it’s easier to say, “Oh well it doesn’t affect me because I don’t have anybody that’s missing or murdered.” Meanwhile, their child could be going to school with someone that has just gone missing over a weekend, and they think it doesn’t affect them. Well actually, it does because your child goes to school with someone that’s gone missing. So, maybe some people need to deal with their denialism and ignorance, because there is a lot of ignorance out there. How do I observe the day? My family and I either give our acknowledgements or we participate in an event that happens.

Moar: We should reflect on the families and individuals affected and learn and understand why the statistics are higher for Indigenous people. I observe the day by taking in online gatherings and community events. For the future I would like our students and staff to host an event to acknowledge the day.

Sinclair: Courses like (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Studies), I would suggest that they become required, because then you’re educating everyone (and) not just students that are interested in certain issues or topics that happen to a certain group of people. So that’s what society can start doing, is to make specific courses a requirement.

I think we also need to bring awareness to how the justice system works. Because when the Cindy Gladue trial happened, they showed a piece of her female genitalia. It was indecent. You could almost say it was the same thing as digging up a body from the grave, just to say, “Oh look at this body.” It was an indecent act [concerning] a person that was just deceased. Why was the justice system allowed to do that? And that was at the trial. Would they have done that to someone else who was non-Indigenous that was murdered? I don’t understand that. We need to look at whether it’s the justice system or the people that are in those positions, within those systems, and how they’re able to do that. Was this admission of “evidence” a form of indignity under the Criminal Code of Canada? I just find it to be very disrespectful and shouldn’t be acceptable.

Q: What is the biggest challenge Indigenous women and girls still face?

Moar: Stereotyping. Poverty. Loss of culture, language, and identity.

Sinclair: As an educator I follow the Weechi-it-te-win Family Services of Fort Frances Ontario, Naaniigaan Abinoojii, Rights of Anishinaabe Children in my teaching pedagogy. It includes those aspects of sports and living a good life or Mino-Bimaadiziwin. It includes everything, there are 132 (12 not 13) points to that, and a part of what Miss Moar is saying is embedded within there. (Another big challenge is) colonialism. Everything is connected to colonialism There is misogyny, racism, stereotyping, discrimination, consumerism and capitalism. All that relates to access to land and colonialism. Because as soon as there was contact, the relationships and the structures that we had were misconstrued by the people that we had contact with; because they were misconstrued everything fell apart from there and today we’re dealing with the after effects of (this). (We need to identify these things) and then be able to deal with it to go forward. Not so that we can ‘get over it,’ but so that we can educate ourselves and learn and grow together. Because we’re not going anywhere. Our population is growing by five times (the amount) as non-Indigenous populations are growing. Because our population is increasing, we are now going into spaces that we have not traditionally been in, and we’re starting to make choices that affect us. And if society doesn’t understand that they need to work with us or listen to us, they’re going to be left behind, which isn’t good for anyone.

Speaking to Mrs. Moar and Ms. Sinclair was very enlightening to the root causes behind MMIWG as well as possible solutions in education and other programs. Overall, Red Dress Day is a day to reflect on one’s own position in relation to the systematic issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Whether you are Indigenous or not, it is still crucial to reflect upon your role in the matter and how you can help or learn more about the problem. Understanding the historical contexts that led up to and influenced such tragedies is vital in the healing process.

» Colin Shaw is a Grade 11 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.