Hundreds gather in downtown Edmonton to mark National Red Dress Day
Sarah Komadina/ Global News
There was a sea of red in downtown Edmonton on Thursday as about 400 people marked National Red Dress Day.
Many were holding tightly onto signs that had messages of love, calls for justice and pictures of loved ones who are missing or murdered.
National Red Dress day honours missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, but men and boys are not left out.
Ronald Beaver came with his family. He painted wooden signs to honour his sister Audrey Beaver. She was last seen in August 2020 in Edmonton. Ronald hopes she will be found.
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"Audrey is my sister, and we obviously pray and think about her everyday," he said.
While coming to the event was emotional, Ronald said it felt like the right place to be.
"It is a beautiful way to honour our Indigenous people," he said.
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Irene Natress came with signs that had pictures of her son Jeremy Natress. He was found dead in a hotel room in 2016. He was 34 years old.
"My son was very kind. He didn't deserve to be murdered," Irene said. "I am very honoured to walk with the victims of homicide.
"We have to get it out there to all the people that don't know what we are going through."
The group left Churchill Square and walked down Jasper Avenue to Beaver Hills Park. There, grieving families went up to an open mic to share their stories to say their loved ones' names.
Judith Gale of the Bear Clan Patrol helped organize the event. She wants to remember her sister Laurel.
"She was murdered in Montreal, Que., at 16 years old, and that was the 80s," Gale said.
She said no one looked for her sister and she was labelled a Jane Doe for three months in the morgue.
"I do this day for her, because I love and miss her dearly."
Gale said it's important to bring the names to life, so their spirits know that they are missed and not forgotten.
Samantha Ming helped create red ribbon skirts to give to victims' families. She was pleased to see a good turnout.
"We are helping give their names back. In our culture, we believe that spirit sees red, so we are hoping our spirits see us," Ming said.
"Our hope is that they're walking alongside us as well."
"She was murdered in Montreal, Que., at 16 years old, and that was the 80s," Gale said.
She said no one looked for her sister and she was labelled a Jane Doe for three months in the morgue.
"I do this day for her, because I love and miss her dearly."
Gale said it's important to bring the names to life, so their spirits know that they are missed and not forgotten.
Samantha Ming helped create red ribbon skirts to give to victims' families. She was pleased to see a good turnout.
"We are helping give their names back. In our culture, we believe that spirit sees red, so we are hoping our spirits see us," Ming said.
"Our hope is that they're walking alongside us as well."
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Gerri Pangman and Kim McPherson have been taking part in events and gatherings that honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls for many years because they both believe it is important to continue raising the issue, and because they both know what it is like to lose a loved one to violence.
“For me, I think it’s really important to just keep raising the issue and to just never stop being the voice for the victims,” Pangman said on Thursday while taking part in an event outside of Winnipeg City Hall.
The event was one of many held on Thursday in Winnipeg and across Canada, as May 6 is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
Pangman and her sister McPherson said they have both lost women in their lives to murder, and don’t want the memory of their relatives to ever be forgotten.
They also want to make sure that the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is top of mind not only for Indigenous people, but for all people in this country, as over the last several decades there have been thousands of reported cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
“For me, it’s to remember the lives that were taken prematurely, and to hope that our children and our daughters and granddaughters don’t have to go through another tragedy like the one in our family, and ones in other families other communities,” McPherson said.
“We want to reach out to all Canadians, and all Canadians need to learn about this issue, and to be champions with us and to walk with us.”
But while the sisters say they want to raise awareness, they also hope events like the one on Thursday help to push all levels of government to make decisions and enact policies to try to keep Indigenous women and girls safe, and to prevent more from being murdered or going missing.
Pangman said that should start with governments working to enact the 231 Calls for Justice that were put forward in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
“We both testified at the inquiry, and the 231 Calls for Justice need to be implemented immediately,” Pangman said.
“We need to hold governments and institutions and agencies accountable, and we need to have an office to do that, so that they can measure if funding and investments are actually having an impact on the ground for women and children.
“With the 231 Calls for Justice they have the framework right there, and governments need to take it seriously and move quickly.”
A number of other events took place in Winnipeg on Thursday to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls, including a march that saw hundreds walk from Memorial Park in downtown Winnipeg to The Forks, where a gathering was planned at the Oodena Celebration Circle.
Events were also planned for Thompson, The Pas, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie and several others to acknowledge the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun
Gerri Pangman and Kim McPherson have been taking part in events and gatherings that honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls for many years because they both believe it is important to continue raising the issue, and because they both know what it is like to lose a loved one to violence.
“For me, I think it’s really important to just keep raising the issue and to just never stop being the voice for the victims,” Pangman said on Thursday while taking part in an event outside of Winnipeg City Hall.
The event was one of many held on Thursday in Winnipeg and across Canada, as May 6 is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
Pangman and her sister McPherson said they have both lost women in their lives to murder, and don’t want the memory of their relatives to ever be forgotten.
They also want to make sure that the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is top of mind not only for Indigenous people, but for all people in this country, as over the last several decades there have been thousands of reported cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
“For me, it’s to remember the lives that were taken prematurely, and to hope that our children and our daughters and granddaughters don’t have to go through another tragedy like the one in our family, and ones in other families other communities,” McPherson said.
“We want to reach out to all Canadians, and all Canadians need to learn about this issue, and to be champions with us and to walk with us.”
But while the sisters say they want to raise awareness, they also hope events like the one on Thursday help to push all levels of government to make decisions and enact policies to try to keep Indigenous women and girls safe, and to prevent more from being murdered or going missing.
Pangman said that should start with governments working to enact the 231 Calls for Justice that were put forward in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
“We both testified at the inquiry, and the 231 Calls for Justice need to be implemented immediately,” Pangman said.
“We need to hold governments and institutions and agencies accountable, and we need to have an office to do that, so that they can measure if funding and investments are actually having an impact on the ground for women and children.
“With the 231 Calls for Justice they have the framework right there, and governments need to take it seriously and move quickly.”
A number of other events took place in Winnipeg on Thursday to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls, including a march that saw hundreds walk from Memorial Park in downtown Winnipeg to The Forks, where a gathering was planned at the Oodena Celebration Circle.
Events were also planned for Thompson, The Pas, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie and several others to acknowledge the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun
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