'A very heavy day': Dozens attend Red Dress Day ceremony in Pitt Meadows

Red dresses dotted šxʷhék̓ʷnəs, or Spirit Square, in Pitt Meadows Sunday to honour the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people in Canada.

Dozens of community members attended a ceremony hosted in the square. The empty garments served as a symbol of lives that have been lost. The event included traditional songs from members of the Katzie First Nation, jingle dancing and powerful words from Elder Colleen Pierre.

Pierre said she will advocate for MMIWG2S until she takes her last breath.

“There won’t come a day where all the dark moments – they’ll never go away,” she said. “But I have five beautiful granddaughters that I want to do my best to make sure that their life isn’t even close to what I have lived. It’s not too much to ask for, is it?”

Pierre added she wants all levels of government to act – to ensure justice is served for the families waiting on answers from police and government agencies.

“This is serious,” she said. “Sometimes the truth hurts, but we’re going to keep addressing it.”

Glenda Morin with the Fraser River Indigenous Society said it was an emotional day.

“Today is a very heavy day,” Morin said. “We’re not just celebrating it today, or honoring it today—it’s every day.”

Red Dress Day is commemorated annually on May 5. It originated out of the REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2010. Every year, there are memorials, rallies and art displays.

In 2019, a national report on MMIWG was released and called for sweeping changes. 

It found Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other group in Canada. Sixty-three per cent of Indigenous women have experienced violence and nearly half have experienced sexual assault, according to Statistics Canada.

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said it stands in solidarity with victims, survivors and families of the Missing and Murdered crisis.

“Families whose loved ones have been murdered or disappeared are consistently filling gaps in the justice system and are at the heart of organizing community actions and searches for their relatives, as well as publicizing violence and negligence at the hands of police and the RCMP,” said Melissa Moses, UBCIC women’s representative, in a news release.

“The perspectives, voices and depth of lived experience of family members and survivors are owed every effort and ultimate respect must guide this work,” Moses said.

UBCIC youth representative Katisha Paul urged collaboration across government ministries.

“It is time for governments, police and the RCMP to listen deeply and take the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice seriously,” Paul said.

In a news release Sunday, Kelli Paddon, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said, “The red dress has become a symbol of loss for those who have been taken too soon, and a call to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.”

Paddon said it’s imperative to listen to the voices of Indigenous people and support self-determination of Indigenous communities in taking steps towards healing and justice.

“We also must address the root causes of violence, including colonialism, racism and misogyny,” the release added.