Remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

Campus comes together to mark Red Dress Day

By Paul Sinkewicz

Members of the STM community joined with others from the USask campus to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, 2spirited, and LGBTQQIA+ people on Thursday, May 5.

The date is the National Day of Awareness for those victims and their families. It is widely recognized as Red Dress Day, a day to recognize, honour and raise awareness about this national tragedy.

Red Dress Day started in 2010 as an offshoot of a project by Métis artist Jamie Black, with the red dresses hung in public places meant hammer home the reality of the loss of each of those lives.

USask held the commemorative event in partnership with Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik (Women Walking Together) as one of several days throughout the year to remember missing and murdered, and to strengthen the call for concrete actions to end the violence.

A crowd more than 100 people met outside at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre for a short program that included prayer, drumming and dancing, and words from the daughter of one of the victims of this type of violence.

They heard from Faith Bosse, a USask student who was only three years old when her mother, Daleen, went missing. The body of her mom – who herself was a USask student at the time - was found in 2008, and her killer caught and sentenced to life in prison. Faith spoke of the pain felt by the families of the missing and murdered women and girls. She is now a mother herself of a two-year-old boy, and spoke of the challenge of learning to become a mother, when she was robbed of the guidance of her own mother. Faith also spoke of the growing awareness and support for the families that she has seen since becoming active in speaking out.

“This gathering provides the University of Saskatchewan campus community with an opportunity for being together like this to listen and to recognize today and every day the truths regarding violence against Indigenous women, girls, 2-spirited, and LGBTQQIA persons,” said Dr. Airini, USask Provost and VP Academic.

The event concluded with a silent procession around the bowl, where new banners have been installed marking the day, and listing the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

 

A large crowd listened to speakers during a Red Dress Day ceremony outside the Gordon Oakes Student Centre

New banners in the USask bowl are reminders of the work left to do to ensure justice and reconciliation

Marchers, led by keynote speaker Faith Bosse, walk around the USask bowl, newly adorned with commemorative banners

Awareness of the issue of missing and murdered women and girls, 2spirited, and LGBTQQIA+ people has grown steadily since the movement began in 2010