May 5, 2024, marks Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ relatives (MMIWG2S+).
The history of Red Dress Day extends to 2010 when Indigenous artist Jaime Black put up art installations of red dresses in Manitoba. The sentiment behind the Red Dress project is to confront the presence of violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ relatives by marking the absence of those impacted by hanging empty dresses.
MNBC’S 2023/24-2026/27 Strategic Plan, KÂ ISI NÂTAMA ÔTA ATI NÎKÂN/Our Way Forward, prioritizes strengthening advocacy for Missing and Murdered Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ relatives.
“MNBC is striving to bridge these socio-economic gaps and create greater well-being for all Métis in BC across our many “social sector” ministries, which include but are not limited to our largest ministries of Education, Post-Secondary Education and Employment Training, Health, Mental Health and Harm Reduction, and Housing and Homelessness, and also our ministries that focus on intersectional populations with specific needs, including but not limited to our ministries of Women and Gender Equity, Elders, and Youth.
One emerging area of greater advocacy and engagement is in Justice with the development of a much-needed Métis Justice Strategy. We are also further looking to reduce poverty, reduce housing precarity through homelessness programs and supports, and strengthen food security as well.”
MNBC acknowledges how much work needs to happen to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities and recognizes the good work that is happening from community, provincial, and federal levels of organization to address the epidemic of MMIWG2S+.
Visit MNBC’s Strategic Plan, the National Inquiry’s Final Report and 231 Call for Justice for information, and visit Ending Violence Association of BC for access to regional resources and services. Learn the Signal for Help.
If you or someone you know is in crisis:
VictimLinkBC Toll-Free Number 1-800-563-0808 (Call or text)
Trans Lifeline Toll-Free Number 1-877-330-6366
Métis Crisis line at 1-833-Metis-BC (1-833-638-4722)