October 4 marks the 6th annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited People's (MMIWG2S) Honouring & Awareness Day in Manitoba.
The day brings attention to the disproportionately higher levels of violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people in Canada and as a result of the ongoing impact of colonization.
Students at Bruce Middle School honoured these victims and their families by tying red ribbons to a bridge over Sturgeon Creek.
SJASD Knowledge Keeper Richelle North Star Scott accompanied students to the location on Portage Avenue.
“It is important as a community that we share these learning experiences as a reminder of the many calls to justice for these victims. As North Star pointed out to us this morning, these art installations are more than symbolic. They raise questions and cause discussions within the community. This leads to awareness and then action," said Principal Dan MacNeil.
He says the location references those lost to rivers that flow through Winnipeg, as well as the importance of water in many Indigenous cultures.
In 2014, the body of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine was found in the Red River. That tragedy sparked renewed calls for a national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. That inquiry concluded in 2019 with a report containing 231 Calls to Justice, including Calls 15.1-8 for Canadians and Call 11.1 for educators. Since then, more Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people and their families have been impacted by violence.
Students at St. James Collegiate (SJCI) walked into the main academic hallway of the high school this morning to see multiple red dresses on display.
Red dresses have evolved into a grassroots symbol of MMIWG2S since Metis artist Jamie Black created a red dress installation project at the University of Winnipeg in 2011.
Tara Tuchscherer, global issues and social studies teacher at SJCI, says each dress has a QR code attached to it with a hyperlink to biographical information about a missing woman or girl.
“The red dress is a reminder that these women, girls and two spirited individuals were loved and are missed by their communities," said Tuchscherer. “October 4 marks an important opportunity to take time to remember those who are missing or murdered as well as to acknowledge the broader issue of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ individuals in this country."
The school also displayed a collabourative art project from the 2018-19 school year involving grade 9 art students and grade 12 Indigenous Studies students from SJCI and John Taylor Collegiate. Students researched a missing or murdered woman, girl or two-spirited person and created a two-sided faceless doll with a red dress on one side. The installation was inspired by the Faceless Doll project initiated by the Native Women's Association in Canada (NWAC). According to the NWAC website, the dolls are a “visual representation of strong and beautiful Aboriginal women who have become 'faceless' victims of crime."
On October 4, we remember those who have been lost, the families and communities who have been impacted, and we commit as a community to working towards a better future.
For family members of victims and community members that may need support at this time, consider contacting the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' toll-free support phone line (1-844-413-6649) or the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line (1-855-242-3310). SJASD students that need support can contact their school guidance counsellors or Educational Support Services.
