To learn more about why Red Dress Day is important, students from several schools including Bishop Lloyd visited the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre on Friday.
Red Dress Day is observed every year on May 5 to honour the missing and murdered Indigenous women and people who have been lost by their families.
The students took part in a pipe ceremony in the morning, then walked from City Hall to the Clock Tower, and then back to the centre for lunch. After lunch, a mother who had lost both her sister and recently her son shared through her tears the tragedy of her loss.
Aurora Champagne who is in grade eight said they learned about the culture and about the numbers of Indigenous people who go missing in Canada.
“I personally learned how many people go missing that are Indigenous. When I was younger, I always thought that it was not that many. But it’s a lot more than I thought.”
Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to go missing or murdered than non-Indigenous women, according to a national survey. Stats Canada noted the homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous.
The 14-year-old reflected that listening to Freda share about the loss of her family members was “hard to listen to.”
“She was talking about how her sister got murdered and so did her son. I couldn’t imagine having that happen to someone in my family.”
The students also learned about the meaning of the red dress.
“It symbolizes the blood of the girls who went missing and got murdered. And it also symbolizes how the family still thinks of the heart pumping in their thoughts and in their prayers.”
The day which began at 10:30 a.m. wrapped up at 2 p.m.
The next event being planned by the centre will be Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
