Red Dress Day: Acknowledging the Crisis, Honouring the Lives Lost
May 5 is Red Dress Day — a National Day of Awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people (MMIWG2S+). At Westbank First Nation, we take this time to honour the lives lost and recognize the ongoing impact this national crisis has on families, communities, and Nations.
Red dresses will hang throughout WFN offices and in communities across the country. They are a powerful, silent symbol — empty garments that speak to the presence of those who are no longer with us. They mark absence, loss, and the depth of a crisis that continues today.
Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people continue to experience violence at rates far higher than others in Canada. These tragedies are not isolated. They are connected to broader, long-standing systems of colonialism, racism, and gender-based harm that continue to affect Indigenous peoples in this country.
WFN Councilor Andrea Alexander shares:
“On Red Dress Day, May 5th, I would like to take a moment to honour and remember all missing and murdered Indigenous girls, women, and two-spirited people. As a woman in leadership, I feel it is my responsibility to advocate for justice for our sisters who have experienced gender-based violence. As leaders, it is our duty to work towards a better future. A future without these horrific acts and the intergenerational trauma and impacts they cause. Today, and every day, I stand with our lost sisters and their families.”
Director of Operations Lisa Pastro adds:
“Red Dress Day is a time for remembrance—but also for reckoning. The violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people cannot be separated from Canada’s history or from the systems that were built to oppress and devalue Indigenous lives.
When we speak the names of those who are missing and murdered, and when we recognize the true scale of this crisis, we honour their memory and ensure they are not forgotten. We give voice to a truth that we all have the responsibility to face—and to act on.”
Westbank First Nation recognizes the strength of the families and advocates who continue to seek justice and systemic change. We honour the memory of those who should still be with us, and we remain committed to keeping this issue visible.
Resources to learn more:
• Red Dress Day – The Canadian Encyclopedia
• MMIWG2S+ Resources – UBC Library
Local Events:
Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society Walk for MMIWG2S
When: Monday May 5 at 10:30AM
Where: 442 Leon Ave, Kelowna BC