By the numbers:

1 little red dress

2 sittings to start and end the project

3 major mistakes

4 lost beads

5 new beads

6 tiny needle wounds

Infinite gratitude

This is student Erika Bailey’s account of participation in the February 21st Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Remembrance, and Beading Event held jointly by Indigenous Student Services and RRUSA this past Sunday.

Over two dozen Indigenous and non-Indigenous students gathered virtually to honor and remember the thousands of MMIWG. The event evolved around beading (a culturally significant event) and a red dress (a symbol of the MMIWG Movement). The intent was to provide support to those participants directly affected by the loss of family or community members, to engage in conversation around this important issue, and to recommit our efforts to end what the United Nations has deemed genocide under international law.

Our discussions revolved around the need for individuals to educate themselves, the importance of holding governments accountable, and the importance of ensuring this issue does not fade from the collective consciousness. To this end, we call on each of you, the reader, to stand with us as allies. To help you upon this journey, here are three facts, three resources, and three things every individual can do to show support.

Three facts:

  • Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women, even though Indigenous people make up 4.3% of the population of Canada.
  • Indigenous women are three times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be victims of violence.
  • From 2001 to 2014, the average rate of homicides involving Indigenous female victims was four times higher than that of homicides involving non-Indigenous female victims.

Source: https://www.afn.ca/policy-sectors/mmiwg-end-violence/

Three resources

https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stefanovich-un-national-inquiry-genocide-response-1.5174855

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/these-haunting-red-dresses-memorialize-murdered-and-missing-indigenous-women-180971730/

Three things to do:

15.1 Denounce and speak out against violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

15.4 Using what you have learned… become a strong ally.

15.8 Help hold all governments accountable to act on the Calls for Justice…

Source: https://miwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1b.pdf  (p. 202)

The organization supported through this event:

Lil’ Red Dress Project. https://lilreddressproject.ca/   Based on Vancouver Island, this organization creates and installs missing persons and educational signage. We supported this organization through the purchase of pin kits used in our MMIWG Remembrance and Beading Event.