Surrey Schools recognizes Red Dress Day in memory of missing and murdered Indigenous people

Illustration by École Salish Secondary student Aroyra Bird

May 5 is Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S) in Canada, and in recognition, the district continues to honour the memory of those who have been killed or gone missing across the country. 

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 gone missing or been murdered in Canada. 

At École Salish Secondary, student leaders and the school’s newly established HOWL Committee – grounded in the values of Honour, Observe, Wonder and Learn – have organized a number of initiatives for Red Dress Day as part of the committee’s goal to meaningfully support Indigenous students in and out of the classroom. 

“Honouring Red Dress Day in Surrey Schools is an important part of our role as educators,” said Jasmin Dhillon, the school’s Indigenous graduation advocate. “It goes beyond symbolism as we feel it helps students build a deeper understanding of history, justice and their place in society.” 

“Schools have a responsibility to recognize days like this,” said École Salish vice-principal Lorne Scott. “In today’s world, education cannot be just about academics, it’s also about preparing students to engage thoughtfully in the world around them.” 

The day will start with a neighbourhood march to raise awareness, with students and staff wearing red as a sign of remembrance and respect and having the opportunity to express the importance of the day. 

Following the march, students and staff will see the unveiling of an interactive art installation of a red dress, made by a staff member’s mother, inviting the school community to adorn it by writing messages of hope, appreciation and recognition. 

“Our hope is that as the dress fills with these messages, it will become a living symbol of remembrance and commitment to reconciliation,” said Dhillon. 

Artwork by a group of talented Indigenous students will also be shared throughout the school, transformed into stickers that will distributed to showcase their creative voices. Additionally, red dresses will be displayed throughout the school as a visual reminder to those whose lives have been lost. 

In the classroom, teachers will share informative slide decks and engage in age-appropriate discussions about the significance of Red Dress Day and the broader context surrounding it, furthering important conversations to pursue truth and reconciliation in Canada. 

“Through these efforts, École Salish continues to build a community rooted in awareness, respect and action, ensuring that important stories are honoured and never forgotten,” said Scott. 

Many schools across the district are honouring Red Dress Day in different ways, including a community gathering a Xw’epiteng Elementary and traditional drumming at Clayton Heights Secondary. Students at École Kwantlen Park Secondary also designed pins for Red Dress Day, each representing the memory of a local missing and murdered Indigenous woman, girl and two-spirit person. 

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. 

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 Crisis Services Canada at 9-8-8, or call the Indigenous-specific Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 for crisis counselling, including in some Indigenous languages.