Events: May 3-5 2024 - Events in Honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+

In honour of National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (M.M.I.W.G. and 2S+), several events will be held March 3-5 in Chatham-Kent.

All events are open to everyone. Attend when you are able.

Wear red to show your support (i.e. shirt, coat, pin - not a red dress).

For more information check out www.7GICFC.org

Schedule of Activities

Friday May 3, 2024

11:45AM: Gather, Civic Centre, 315 King Street West, Chatham

12:00PM M.M.I.W.G. and 2S+ flag raising, Civic Centre, 325 King Street West, Chatham

12:20PM Walk from Civic Centre to Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham

12:30PM Opening and displaying Red Dresses, Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham

1:00PM Lunch Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham (soup and oven bread)

1:30PM Lighting of Sacred Fire and Teachings, Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Bannock and tea at Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham.

10:00AM - 12:00PM and 1:00PM - 3:00PM

Drop-in and visit. Open conversation and Teachings with an Indigenous Grandmother.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Vigil

Deshkan Ziibi, 495 King Street West, Chatham.

6:00PM Vigil Opening

6:10PM Giving of tobacco

6:20PM Sharing circle (Open sharing)

7:00PM Closing and taking down of Red Dresses

Co-sponsored by: Ska:Na Family Learning Centre; The Bleak House; Women's Equity Business; 7 Generations Indigenous Cultural Friendship Centre; United Way of Chatham-Kent; Municipality of Chatham-Kent; OLG; St. Clair Catholic District School Board; Peer-2-Peer Network.

About The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People

Also called Red Dress Day, the day honours and brings awareness to the disproportionate violence that Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people face in Canada.

The red dress was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project, in which she hung empty, red dresses to represent the missing and murdered women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people found that, in Canada:

• Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit people are 12x more likely to go missing or be murdered than all other women, and 16x more likely than Caucasian women.
• In the last 30 years, more than 4000 Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit people have gone missing or been murdered. That’s about 133 a year or 3 a week.
• Because of persistent forms of oppression (racism, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism), complaints about missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Women, are less likely to be taken seriously or followed up.

The National Inquiry led to 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians.

Supports

This day may be triggering for some people. Help is available.

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people toll-free support phone line (24/7) 1-844-413-6649

Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7) 1-855-242-3310

Learn More

Read the final report and Calls for Justice from the MMIWG2S+ National Inquiry on the National Inquiry website

Visit the National Family and Survivors Circle website

Visit the Amnesty International No More Stolen Sisters website

Find book, video and podcast recommendations on Simon Fraser University’s website