The Ermineskin Women's Shelter Society held their annual 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' event on May 5, starting at Bear Park, in honour of Red Dress Day.
May 5 is a National Day of awareness and remembrance in Canada.
"This day reminds us of the 231 calls for justice in the final report from the National Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls," stated an Ermineskin Cree Nation social media post on May 5.
"It’s also an opportunity for people who have lost loved ones or who have experienced violence to gather for comfort and for solidarity. Our prayers to you and your families."
The Red Dress movement, which began in 2010, was inspired by Metis artist Jaime Black.
"The artist chose the colour red after speaking with an Indigenous friend who told her that is the only colour spirits can see. Red dresses are used to call the spirits of missing and murdered women and girls back to their loved ones. The goal was to speak to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Indigenous women and to evoke a presence by marking absence." (alberta.ca/red-dress-day)
“On May 5, we stand with survivors, families, individuals and communities to honour the lives and memories of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two spirit plus (MMIWG2S+) people," said Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin MLA Rick Wilson in a press release.
"This day serves as a solemn reminder and is a collective call to action."
In Canada, more than 63 per cent Indigenous women experience physical or sexual assault in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research.
From 2001 to 2015, the homicide rate for Indigenous women in Canada was almost six times higher than that for other women (Statistics Canada).
“Alberta’s government is committed to real and lasting change," said Wilson.
"Through the guidance of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Roadmap, the ongoing work of the Premier’s Council on MMIWG2S+, and vital initiatives like the Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and the Community Support Fund, we are taking action to address the factors that lead to disproportionate violence and the systemic injustices that have persisted for far too long."
The following services are available 24 hours a day, every day, for those experiencing distress:
-Hope for Wellness Help Line (Indigenous centred): 1-855-242-3310
- Crisis Services Canada: (Canada-wide) 9-8-8
- National Family and Survivors Circle: 1-844-413-6649
(Video by Kayla Cutarm, ECN communications)
