The Red Dress Project is a collaboration between Cumberland College and Reconciliation Nipawin in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirits Day. (Reconciliation Nipawin/Facebook)

By Rachel May

Reconciliation Nipawin

Red Shirt Day set to be recognized again in Nipawin

May 4, 2023 | 1:00 AM

Reconciliation Nipawin is aiming to raise awareness of the racism, discrimination, and violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people.

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S) is May 5 and they, along with Cumberland College, have brought back the Red Dress Day project to the community.

“(We’ll) hang red dresses in the park beside Cumberland College. It’s quite a moving display. Having the red dresses hanging, it’s a symbol of a woman taken too soon,” said Denise Blomquist, Co-chair of Reconciliation Nipawin.

According to Taken the Series, which tells the real-life stories of missing and murdered women, Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people are 12 times more likely to be victims of violence than any other woman. That rate jumps to 19 times in Saskatchewan.

Blomquist said Red Dress Day is a way to highlight this issue as well as foster an environment for healing, justice, and reconciliation.

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“I think the first step is just acknowledging the past. Canada has a very shady past when it comes to indigenous people and colonization. It really put an entire group of people at a huge disadvantage.”

After observing the red dresses hanging in the park, people can head inside Cumberland College to learn more about MMIWG2S as well as support those affected by the subject matter.

“We’ve put up a display area in our lobby and it has a whole bunch of resources there,” added Blomquist. “We’ve put out different supports and if we can’t provide support services we definitely can refer people to different phone numbers or support services.”

There will be a walk from Town Square to the park starting at 12 p.m.

The dress display went up on May 1 and will be taken down around the May long weekend.

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Rachel.May@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RachelMayFM