Join us as we Walk Together to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirits
May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+). May 5 is an important day for MMIWG2S+ awareness because it’s a national day to recognize lives lost, stand with families, and call for action.
In Canada, this is known as Red Dress Day, which was inspired by the REDress Project by Jaime Black-Morsette. She hung empty red dresses in public spaces to represent Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered. The dresses symbolize both absence and presence, showing the scale of the loss in a powerful way. The colour red was chosen because it’s believed (in some Indigenous teachings) to be the only color spirits can see. Therefore, wearing red helps call the spirits of the missing back and keeps their memory visible. To learn more about Jaime Black-Morsette and the Red Dress Project, you can follow this link: About – Jaime Black
On May 5th, we will gather in partnership with The Confluence, Miskanawah, Casey Eagle Speaker, Karen English, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, Making Treaty 7, and Stardale Women’s Group for the MMIWG2S+ Sacred Steps Walk. Together, we will walk in remembrance, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity with families and communities impacted by this ongoing tragedy. This is a time to reflect, to honour the lives lost, and to commit to continued action and change.
The day will begin with a sacred fire lighting, opening prayers, and songs, followed by a 5.2 km Walk in Solidarity from The Confluence to the Peace Bridge. After the walk, we will gather as a community to share soup and bannock and witness the raising of the tipi.
We encourage everyone to join us in this important act of remembrance and solidarity. Please wear red to honour MMIWG2S+. Dress for the weather and bring a camping chair, as seating will be limited. Remember this is a sombre event, honouring lives lost and families left behind.
This year, we are asking people to make a donation to Stardale Women’s Group. For 29 years, Stardale has empowered the lives of Indigenous girls, strengthened their families, and inspired communities to engage in the core values of reconciliation. You can visit their website and learn more here You Can Help — Stardale Women’s Group
The Native Women’s Association of Canada has created a toolkit that has a lot of information about the 231 Calls for Justice, advocacy, and follow through. It is a very goo resource for teams. MMIWG2S-Advocacy-Toolkit-EN.pdf
“Since the release of the seminal report from the MMIWG National Inquiry, we have yet to see real, on-the-ground changes to end violence against First Nations women, girls, and gender-diverse people. AFN’s MMIWG Sector advocates for the full implementation both of the Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice, and the National Action Plan to End Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.” -Assembly of First Nations-
Additional Learning
Helen Osborne, Felicia Solomon & Sindy Ruperhouse
Helen Betty Osborne
19 years old
Helen Betty Osborne was a 19-year-old Cree student from northern Manitoba who dreamed of becoming a teacher. On November 12, 1971, she was abducted by four white men in the town of The Pas and then sexually assaulted and brutally killed. A provincial inquiry subsequently concluded that Canadian authorities had failed Helen Betty Osborne. The inquiry criticized the sloppy and racially biased police investigation that took more than 15 years to bring one of the four men to justice. Most disturbingly, the inquiry concluded that police had long been aware of white men sexually preying on Indigenous women and girls in The Pas but “did not feel that the practice necessitated any particular vigilance.”
-Report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba: The Deaths of Helen Betty Osborne and John Joseph Harper, Commissioners A.C. Hamilton and C.M. Sinclair, 1991.
Felicia Solomon
16 years old
Felicia Solomon, a 16-year-old cousin of Helen Betty Osborne, was reported missing after she failed to return home from school in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 25 March 2003. In June 2003, body parts were found that were later identified as Felicia Solomon’s. Her killer has not been found.
-Amnesty.ca - Stolen Sisters
Sindy Ruperthouse
44 years old
Sindy Ruperthouse, an Algonquin woman from the Pikogan community in northwestern Quebec, was last seen April 23, 2014, at the hospital in Val-d'Or, Que. The 44-year-old had been injured with multiple broken ribs.
Her parents allege she was beaten by her boyfriend — who they have since written to, begging for information.
In 10 years, her father Johnny Wylde has never changed his phone number.
He says he never will. Wylde thinks there's only a one per cent chance she's still alive.
-https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/sindy-ruperthouse-disappearance-10-years-missing-indigenous-women-and-girls-1.7186706
