​Students from across SJASD are taking part in a variety of age-appropriate recognition activities to mark Red Dress Day on May 5, also known as the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S).

At Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, students held a march on Thursday that wound its way from Ness Avenue, to Portage Avenue and a local MPs office, and back to the school. ­Students on the walk held signs and carried a banner designed by Sturgeon Heights students Brianna and Aiden.

Students also created and decorated red dress cut-outs and posted them around the school.

Principal George Valentim says all activities are student led. “The kids planned it all out. They were happy with what we've done," he said.

On Friday, student organizers are holding a Bannock sale to raise money for Drag the Red, a community volunteer organization founded in 2014 to search in and around the Red River for missing persons after the body of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine was found in the river.

April Waters is the Administrator of Indigenous Academic & Community Support for SJASD. She says marking this day requires balance and an age-appropriate approach because it can be triggering for impacted families.

“[This issue] is unfortunately not going away," she says. “Indigenous women continue to experience violence. We need to engage in the right way to have impactful conversations that educate our students and the wider community," she said.

École Ness held a smudge on Thursday morning and recognized the day during morning announcements to invite all classrooms to remember, reflect and discuss. Student groups also collaborated to research MMIWG2S issues and wrote educational statistics on red dress cut-outs with handprints dipped in red paint. This artwork was placed around the school to raise awareness of MMIWG2S issues.

École Ness Principal Roné Boyko says putting students at the centre is critical, along with educator collaboration.

“It's important to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into our culture of learning, not only on these important days," she said.

Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate and École Ness are just a snapshot of Red Dress Day activities throughout the Division. To learn more, check out your school's social media feeds.

To learn more, read the 2019 Final Report and Calls to Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. See also Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada's web page on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQi+ people.

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.