05/05/2026
May 5 is Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness and Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Red Dress Day was sparked by the REDress Project by Métis artist Jaime Black, where empty red dresses were displayed to represent the absence of Indigenous women and girls who have been taken. Today the red dress is a powerful symbol of remembrance, grief, resistance, and the ongoing call for justice.
The crisis of MMIWG2S+ is rooted in colonialism, racism, and gender-based violence. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people are more than statistics. They are sisters, mothers, daughters, aunties, grandmothers, Elders, friends, and community members. They are loved. They are missed. They must not be forgotten.
Today, we encourage our community to wear red, listen to and amplify Indigenous voices with care and consent, attend local vigils and events, support Indigenous-led organizations, and advocate for the full implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice.
Locally, Atlohsa will be holding a community fire at Peace Park, 331 Thames Street, on May 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Support is available 24/7:
Atlohsa: 1-800-605-7477
Hope for Wellness: 1-855-242-3310
MMIWG Crisis Line: 1-844-413-6649
We remember. We honour. We will not forget.
