Today, May 5th, is a day to recognize and honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across our nation. It is Red Dress Day.
At the 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses presented by K+S Potash Canada on April 10, 2019, not only did we celebrate our success and positive impact on the community, but we took the opportunity to address this national tragedy.
For the past number of years, we have hung chandeliers of dresses donated by generous community members as a unique way to provide aesthetic and appeal to the room. This is something no other organization can accomplish with such meaning, as each dress is indeed #morethanadress.
This year, our Executive Director Karen Robson wanted to use that room centerpiece to bring attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, due to the connection The Princess Shop has with Indigenous populations beyond providing our programs and services on Treaty 6 Territory. So we hung a red dress in the center of the chandelier that hung over the stage in the middle of the room.
During her speech, Karen took a moment and a deep breath to deliver this message:
“This red dress is to honour the women and girls who do not get to reach the milestone of graduation, celebrate their accomplishments, and continue to pursue success due to systemic violence and the national tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
This is important to us because over the past decade, 74% of our Princess Graduates have self-identified as Indigenous and have represented 57 First Nations Communities in Saskatchewan. Knowing this, we ask you to give your attention to the challenges that Indigenous women and youth face – there are many.
The mandate of the national inquiry also highlights the interconnectedness of all forms of violence and trauma Indigenous women and girls suffer from at an alarmingly high rate. According to several advocates, there are over 4,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. That is too many families that don’t get to celebrate the accomplishments of their daughters, sisters, and mothers.
At The Princess Shop, we know that addressing these systemic issues includes us and is much bigger than us. Our work, as you will see here tonight, continues to positively impact indigenous women and students on graduation day and beyond.”
The national inquiry is set to conclude on June 30, 2019, but this is just the beginning. The stories will still need to be shared, and advocacy and action to improve systems to provide inclusivity but also respect culture will require continued support.
At The Princess Shop, we encourage our community to learn about these issues, and be a voice to support organizations and individuals. Here are a few websites to start:
National Inqiuiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Native Women's Association of Canada
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The REDress Project by Jaime Black
