Red Dress Day: Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People

May 5 is Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People.

Today is a day to pause.

A day to remember.

A day to honour the Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and gender-diverse people who are missing or who have been taken through violence.

Across Canada, red dresses are displayed in windows, trees, community spaces and gathering places. These empty red dresses have become a powerful symbol of absence, grief, love and the ongoing call for justice.

Each red dress represents a life.

A daughter. A mother. A sister. An aunty. A cousin. A friend. A loved one who should still be here.

What Is Red Dress Day?

Red Dress Day is observed every year on May 5. It brings awareness to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People, often referred to as MMIWG2S+.

The red dress has become a national symbol of remembrance. It reminds us of the people, families and communities affected by this ongoing crisis.

The dresses are empty, but their message is powerful.

They ask us not to look away.

They ask us to listen.

They ask us to remember that behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community carrying loss.

Why Red Dress Day Matters

For Indigenous families and communities, Red Dress Day is not just a symbolic day. It is deeply personal.

The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People is not something from the past. It continues to affect families and communities across Canada today.

Awareness matters, but awareness alone is not enough.

Red Dress Day asks us to learn, to listen, to speak with care and to support meaningful change. It asks us to remember the lives taken, honour the families still searching and stand with

communities calling for justice.

A Métis-Owned Business Rooted in Land, Family and Connection

At Buffalo Pound Eco Lodge, we are a Métis-owned eco lodge in Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, Saskatchewan. Our business is built around land, family, nature, culture and connection.

We often talk about slowing down here.

Slowing down to feel the prairie wind. Slowing down to watch the lake. Slowing down to listen to the birds overhead. Slowing down to reconnect with the land and with yourself.

But today, slowing down means something different.

Today, slowing down means making space to remember.

It means taking a moment to honour the Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People who should still be here. It means remembering the families who continue to search, grieve, speak and advocate.

It means carrying this truth with respect.

Remembering With Care

Here in the valley, the land has a quiet way of asking us to pay attention.

The trees move gently in the wind. The prairie grass bends and rises. The lake holds reflection . The sky stretches wide above us.

On Red Dress Day, that stillness feels especially meaningful.

It reminds us that remembrance should not be rushed.

It reminds us that the stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People deserve to be heard, honoured and carried forward.

How to Honour Red Dress Day

There are many ways to honour Red Dress Day with care and respect.

You can wear red. You can display a red dress or red ribbon. You can learn about MMIWG2S+. You can support Indigenous-led organizations, artists and community events. You can attend a local walk, gathering or vigil. You can listen to families, survivors and Indigenous voices. You can share information in a respectful way. You can continue learning beyond May 5.

Most importantly, you can remember that this day is about real people, real families and real communities.

May We Remember

Today, our hearts are with the families, survivors and communities impacted by the MMIWG2S+ crisis.

We remember the daughters, mothers, sisters, aunties, cousins, friends and loved ones who should still be here.

We remember the families who continue to carry grief, love and hope.

We remember that every life matters.

May we remember. May we listen. May we speak with care. May we never forget.