May 5th is "Red Dress Day" And Bishop John commends us to remember in prayer all those indigenous women, girls, and two spirited people, who have been murdered or disappeared.
“Red Dress Day” is the shorthand designating the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People.
We all have a tendency to abbreviate terms whenever possible; in this case I try not to, because the shorthand term “Red Dress Day” can become a symbol that obscures the reality.
If you have spent time with Indigenous, Inuit or Métis friends it is possible they may share their experiences of loss and grief. For some those experiences will include Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People.
This is a National Day of Awareness. There is no single or “right” way to commemorate the day. Whatever you might do (a service, a book study or the hanging of red dresses in public spaces) is really only the start not a completion of the work. Awareness is the beginning of the journey.
The attached article, “Beyond Red Dress Day: Seven calls to Action for Indigenous allies” was written by Brielle Morgan in 2021 and the calls to action are very relevant.
A prayer (adapted from resources for this day produced for the Anglican Church of Canada) for Murdered and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People: