Surrey Schools remembers missing and murdered Indigenous people on May 5 for Red Dress Day
Numerous red dresses are on display at L.A. Matheson Secondary as Mustang Justice students participate in the recognition of Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) in Canada.
This Sunday, the district is recognizing Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) in Canada.
First held in 2010, the annual remembrance was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project, an art installation of red dresses hanging in the wind to symbolize more than 1,000 Indigenous women and girls who have been killed or gone missing in Canada.
“As a school district, it’s an opportunity for us to continue our work around truth and reconciliation, and to raise awareness about something that’s happening across Canada,” said JB Mahli, Director of Instruction with the district’s Racial Equity department. “It’s a very solemn and important day that we bear witness to.
“It’s a chance to provide education to all of our schools so that when students see the symbolic red dress, there’s learning attached to it. We also want to make sure that Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people know that they have a right to feel safe in their communities, wherever they live.”
In May 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released Reclaiming Power and Place, a 1,200-page report that included more than 230 recommendations to address issues faced by Indigenous women and girls across the country.
Students are encouraged to mark the day by wearing red, hanging a red dress in their yard or window, or posting on social media with the hashtags #RedDressDay, #MMIWG, #MMIWG2S, #WhyWeWearRed and #NoMoreStolenSisters.
Many students recognize the day through artwork:
- Grade 4 students at Lena Shaw Elementary sewed miniature red dresses and displayed them with accompanying messages, sharing their reflections on the day.
- Students from the Cloverdale Learning Centre shared a display for the Red Dress Project.
- Students on the Clayton Heights Secondary art council painted art pieces to acknowledge Red Dress Day.
- L.A. Matheson Secondary’s Mustang Justice students put up a display of red dresses in the school and created informational pamphlets about Red Dress Day.
- Additional student artwork of red shirts is currently on display at the District Education Centre (DEC).
In 2022, WRAP students Hannah Adams and Selena Oakley painted Stolen Sisters, a community mural to promote awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Red Dress Day can be triggering for those affected by loss. For immediate emotional assistance, call the government’s national, toll-free 24/7 crisis line 1-844-413-6649, or call the Indigenous-specific Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 for crisis counselling, including in some Indigenous languages.
