Building a groundswell: Events pay tribute to MMIWG on national day of awareness

Red dresses, along with support and hope, were put on display Wednesdayas various groups in Manitoba and across the country paid tribute tomissing and murdered Indigenous women,girls and two-spiritpeople.

May 5 every year is the national day of awareness of MMIWGin Canada, also known as Red Dress Day.

Travis Barsysays it'sessential for Indigenous people and their allies to continue the push for movement onthe 231 calls to actionoutlined inthe 2019 final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

He ispart of a group that hosted a walk from theCanadian Museum for Human Rights to the Manitoba legislative building in Winnipeg on Wednesday evening.

TaraMartinez also helped organizedthe walk. Martinez said she wastrafficked years ago when she was a teenagerand wantedto use the event to speak up for women who weren'table to safely return home.

"We have to use our voice," she said."It's about safety and reconnecting with our loved ones, because they're out there somewhere."

Martinez said she wants to see more preventive measures implemented to protect women. Installing lights along the Red River and creating a program where women can call for safe ridesare some ways to start, she said.

"Regardless of whether we live a high-risk lifestyle or not, we're still somebody'sdaughter," Martinez said. "I'm tired of hearing stuff like, 'Well, they're just partying' when we try to report our loved ones missing."

If any progress is to be made in honouring the missing and murdered and raising more understanding and compassion for the issues surrounding Indigenous people, "the first step is to be able to talk about it comfortably," Barsy said.

"It's our responsibility to be able to encourage everybody to take action where they see fit and feel comfortable. The reality is our Indigenous women and girls, specifically, are at a higher [risk] of going missing and being found murdered," he said.

"Manitoba has the third highest cases of MMIWout there in Canada. Just Alberta and B.C. are ahead of us. So it's really important that we get the conversation going."

Other ways to show support for MMIW, Barsy noted, include wearing red on May 5, hanging a red article of clothing outside or in a window, or writing to federalCrown-Indigenous Relations MinisterCarolyn Bennett who is in charge of the enacting the calls for action in the national inquiry's report.

"We've had some people who will change a light bulb outside of their house to a red one anything and everything to keep that conversation going," he said.

Also on Wednesday, Winnipgeg's Dakota Collegiate Institute launched a quilting project to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

A news release from Louis Riel School Division said Victoria McIntosh (Biktoryias), an Anishinaabe grandmother, artist, and educator will teach students about the "crumb quilts" her own grandmother taught her to make, using scraps to create something new while telling stories. The students will then each create their own squares with images on them.

The final quilt will be completed and celebrated on Oct. 4,the National Day of Action for MMIWG2S.

Earlier on Wednesday, the National Indigenous Women's Resource Centerin the United States hosted a virtual event calledUplifting the Voices of MMIW Families.

Relatives shared their stories whilepeople from across Canada and the U.S. spoke about the heartache of searching for missing loved ones and of mourning their deaths,and urged people to help end the violence by standing together, amplifying their voices, andbuilding"a groundswell for action and justice."

"This violence touches every family. Every tribe hasnative women who are missing or who have been murdered,"said Malinda Limberhandfrom the Northern Cheyenne Nation insoutheastern Montana.

Her 21-year-old daughter, Hanna Harris, went missing in July 2013. Her body was found days later only after family and friends launched a search, as police and justice officials were too slow to respond.

"Traditionally, native women were respected. Today, we face levels of violencegreater than any other group of women," Limberhandsaid.

"Acceptance of violence against Indian women needs to stop. The system must change. As a mother, nothing will replace the loss of my daughter but I know that by organizing for the national day of awareness can create change that will help others."

Over the last decade, awareness of this national issue has increased, but more must be done to stop disappearances and save lives, theNIWRC stated in a release.

Another group,Rising Hearts, is hosting a virtual 5K, 10Kand half marathon that can be completed between May 5-9. Money raised goes tosupportNIWRC.