First Light hosts day of reflection and ‘Celebration of Life’ for Red Dress Day
First Light is marking Red Dress Day in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Trans, Queer, and Gender-diverse People, and is calling on members of the public to stand in solidarity with MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ families and the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s.
Red Dress Day is a national day of awareness and remembrance. Throughout the day, First Light will provide opportunities for community members to gather, reflect, and celebrate life. First Light staff and community members will meet at 70 Brookfield Road and walk together to Bowring Park in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Trans, Queer, and Gender-diverse People. Participants are asked to wear red and are encouraged to bring their drums if they wish. Afterwards, participants will return to 70 Brookfield to spend time around the sacred fire, create paper red dresses for First Light’s memorial tree, and connect with support as needed.
Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women in Canada. TheNational Inquiry’s Final Report: Reclaiming Power and Place, documents the truths of more than 2,380 family members, survivors, experts and Knowledge Keepers, and delivers 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, and all Canadians. Those Calls are integrated into First Light’s 42 Calls for Change as we look to make change at our local level to begin to address this issue.
“This day is about honouring our loved ones and supporting the strength and resilience of those who are still with us,” said Leah Randell, Cultural Support Worker at First Light. “We invite the public to stand with us and ensure that Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Trans, Queer, and Gender-diverse People are never forgotten.”
This week is a reminder that the voices of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans, queer, and gender-diverse people will never be silenced. First Light invites our supporters, allies, and partners to walk alongside us – not just in ceremony, but in commitment to lasting change.
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