Red Dress Day & the Wilmot Ecumenical Working Group on Indigenous/Settler Relationships

May 5th marks Red Dress Day in Canada, a day of remembrance for the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit (MMIWG2S+) individuals across the country. There is particularly poignancy this year, given the recent discovery of human remains -- of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris and Marcades Myran -- in a Winnipeg landfill. 

For the second year, the Wilmot Ecumenical Working Group on Indigenous/Settler Relationships (WEWG) is inviting faith groups to participate in Red Dress Day this coming May.

Last year in Wilmot, 9 churches responded to a passionate invitation that came from Elder Nina De Shane at Wilmot Family Resource Centre.  She had said, "It would mean so much to Indigenous people if the churches would acknowledge Red Dress Day by hanging dresses at their places of worship."

Locally, red dresses were provided by the WEWG.   The dresses had been smudged (a form of purification) by a member of the local Indigenous community, in accordance with and respecting Indigenous protocol and culture.  Dresses were then hung either inside or outside for a time period on and around May 5th as each faith community determined. Congregations were encouraged to include information and reflection about MMIWG2S+ during services.

We are inviting Wilmot faith groups to once again join others across the country in this initiative that was born out of the REDress art installation by Métis artist, Jaime Black, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  In 2010, hundreds of red dresses were first displayed in public spaces to raise awareness for the missing women. The colour red was chosen based on the traditional knowledge that red is the only colour spirits can see and it is used as a means of calling the spirits of these lost loved ones home. 

If your congregation is interested in participating, please email ecumenicalworkinggroup@gmail.com and we will be in touch.  A nominal donation of $25.00 is requested from participating congregations to help cover the cost of the expenses incurred.