Join us as we Walk Together to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirits
Tuesday, May 5th, also known as Red Dress Day, is the National Day of Awareness For Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirits. On May 5th at 10:00AM, Enviros will be walking 5.2km through Confluence Park beginning at 9:30am to honour the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two spirits who have gone missing or been murdered.
Enviros has had the privilege of learning from Elders who have entered our spaces to lead ceremony and share their knowledge with grace, patience, and kindness. Their teachings have had a profound impact on our organization, shaping our people and strengthening the way we support children, youth, and families.
Through the leadership of our Indigenous Liaison, Paul Bridger, we continue to build meaningful relationships with community. These connections help ensure that our teams, and the children and youth we serve, can engage in cultural practices in meaningful and ongoing ways.
As we continue on our journey of learning and growth, we are committed to deepening our relationships and exploring ways to give back to Indigenous communities. We encourage those who are able to support this work by making a donation to Stardale.
For 29 years, 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. We offer programs and services to Indigenous young women and girls in overcoming systemic barriers. To learn more about Stardale, please visit Stardale Women’s Group
“Indigenous women are four times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be
victims of violence.
Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women, yet Indigenous people make up only 4.3% of the population of Canada.“
Assembly of First Nations
https://youtu.be/6DLZgG15c-o?si=kKI4IKngd3oQ2NiM
“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-
Read the National Inquiry’s 231 Calls to Justice
Additional Learning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNPKWDEOAD4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWvPUm25MA
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
