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Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ people (MMIWG+) will be raised on May 5, which is known in Saskatchewan and across Canada as Red Dress Day.
A total of 1324 missing alerts of Indigenous people were added in 2024 to Aboriginal Alert’s website and four provinces had greater than 200 missing alerts in 2024 — Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Read more:
- Meadow Lake Tribal Council calling for more access to health care
- Indigenous leaders hopeful for Carney-led government on economy, reconciliation
While Manitoba had the most missing alerts out of all provinces, Ontario and Saskatchewan have the most missing alerts that are still active, the Indigenous awareness network said.
“Indigenous women make up 16 per cent of all female homicide victims, and 11 per cent of missing women, yet Indigenous people make up only 4.3 per cent of the population of Canada,” says the Assembly of First Nations.
The first Red Dress Day took place in 2014, inspired by the work of Canadian Métis artist Jaime Black.
Black took hundreds of red dresses and hung them in public places to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women. The art installation turned the red dress into a symbol that represents the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
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The Government of Saskatchewan wants to remind people that everyone plays a part in ending violence and applications for the MMIWG+ Community Response Fund are open.
Over the years, many people have expressed their support on Red Dress Day by hanging red dresses outside of their homes or wearing articles of clothing or jewelry to commemorate the day.
“Our government is working toward a safer future for all by providing funding opportunities to organizations and grassroots initiatives that empower awareness and safety in Indigenous communities,” said Minister Responsible for First Nations Métis and Northern Affairs, Eric Schmalz.
Among the names of the missing in Saskatchewan is five-year-old Tamara Keepness.
The disappearance of Keepness remains a mystery even 20 years later. After she disappeared from her home in the Regina Heritage neighbourhood in 2004, she hasn’t been seen since.
The Saskatchewan government said interpersonal violence programs will see $31.7 million from the province in 2025-26 in addition to another $3.8 million over two years due to its federal partnership with the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
However, interpersonal violence is a broader category including all peoples.
Figures released by Saskatchewan RCMP in November show calls reporting these types of crimes have increased by 13 per cent over the past five years and in 2023 more than half of the violent crimes dealt with by RCMP jurisdiction were related to offences against intimate partners or family members.
“Red Dress Day is meant to draw attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ and to honour their families,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said.
Ways to honour MMIWG+ in Saskatchewan
The Red Dress, Michael Scott, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Saskatoon
There will be a screening of the film The Red Dress at Remai Modern on Sunday, playing on a loop from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The 27-minute film, directed by Michael Scott and written by renowned Métis author and screenwriter Maria Campbell, explores themes of cultural identity, sexual assault and the familial impact of colonialism, echoing the themes of her seminal memoir Halfbreed.
A display at Wanuskewin Visitor Centre for Red Dress Day (Wanuskewin Visitor Centre website)
Also on Sunday, Wanuskewin Visitor Centre will host Red Dress information and displays as well as a gallery show with MMIWG+ focus and scavenger hunts as well as drop-in activities like beaded felt Red Dress pin making with Kandis Capulet.
On Monday, Wanuskewin will also host ᒪᐦᐃᐦᑲᐣ mahihkanak Dance Troupe as well as repeating the weekend activities.
The City of Saskatoon and Iskwewuk E-wichiwitochik (Women Walking Together) are hosting events on Monday at the Cosmic Civic Centre focusing on the prevention of future violence against these groups in the community.
The news release said the events will feature “information booths focused on raising awareness of safety, domestic violence, human trafficking and its risk factors, and current community supports.”
A Training Active Bystanders (TAB) program — which helps participants recognize when they are bystanders, analyze situations, and evaluate the consequences for everyone involved — will also be available for those who would like to learn how to responsibly intervene and support “those in need while avoiding complicity through inaction.”
Registration for the TAB session is now closed but the city said interested people can email Heather Peters at heatherpeters@mccsk.ca on Monday about any last-minute cancellations that may free up a spot.
The third annual Red Dress Day Walk will start from Saskatoon Police Headquarters on 25th Street East at 4 p.m.
The walk will start and end at the Wicanhpi Duta Win/Red Star Woman fancy-dancer statue in front of the building. The route will take approximately an hour and there will be golf cart transportation for anyone for whom walking is a barrier, according to the City of Saskatoon.
Faith Bosse, the daughter of Daleen Bosse, started the walk in 2022.
Daleen had no prior relationship with her killer, Douglas Hales. Daleen went missing in 2004 and Hales was charged after confessing to the murder to undercover officers and leading them to where he dumped the body north of the city.
“As the daughter of a missing and murdered Indigenous woman, hosting this walk is important to me, and being her voice, as well as the voice of other women and girls, who are still missing or have been taken away from their families. My main goal is to get the message out to our community and also educate them about the dangers we as Indigenous women face every day,” Faith said.
Regina
Saskatchewan Health Authority will host an educational event at Regina’s mâmawêyatitân centre at 3355 6th Avenue on Monday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
After a pipe ceremony, a walk will start at 10 a.m. and be followed by a program of speakers, a free lunch and performances.
Swift Current
On Sunday, the Southwest Red Dress Day Committee is hosting a Red Dress Day event at the Living Skies Casino Event Centre from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The come-and-go event starts with a welcome and blessing and invites people to join in working collaboratively to create commemorative Métis Dot paintings to honour MMIWG+. The resulting pieces will then be displayed at the Art Gallery of Swift Current.
The group will also hang red dresses on trees throughout the city until May 6.
- Support is available from the MMIWG+ support line at 1-844-413-6649
— with files from 650 CKOM’s Brittany Caffet and 650 CKOM News.
Read more:
- Meadow Lake Tribal Council calling for more access to health care
- Indigenous leaders hopeful for Carney-led government on economy, reconciliation
