A group of about 20 Drumheller residents of all ages took time on Friday, May 5, to mark Red Dress Day.
Recognized since 2010, Red Dress Day is a day to honour and bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people-a day of mourning, and a day of hope.
The event in Drumheller was organized by Knowledge Keeper Lynn Fabrick, Naomie Ataguyuk, and the Big Country Anti-violence Association (BCAVA).
The walk on May 5 began at the new Downtown Drumheller plaza, where participants walked to Angel’s Corner.
The route was lined with red dresses, and participants tied red ribbons along the way. Fabrick explained the dresses are there in remembrance, but also as vessels to fill with the spirits of those missing.
When the group arrived at Angel’s Corner, Elder John Sinclair did a blessing and performed a drumming song.
Fabric noted the day takes on significant meaning as on May 2, the House of Commons unanimously backed a motion to declare the deaths and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls a Canada-wide emergency and to fund a new system which would alert the public when someone goes missing.
