Fort St. John Métis Society's schedule for Red Dress Day 2025

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The sign emphasizes the meaning of Red Dress day, to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women within Canada (Huron Shores United Church, Facebook)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Both the Fort St. John Métis Society and Fort St. John Friendship Society have released plans for a grim anniversary for the Indigenous community.

Monday, May 5th marks Red Dress Day 2025, or the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

The event started as an art project by Indigenous artist Jaime Black in 2010. Black displayed a red dress installation at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba.

According to Statistics Canada, 490 Indigenous women and girls were murdered between 2009 and 2021 in Canada. That rate was six times higher than non-Indigenous women.

Bailie Copeland, director and proposal writer of the Fort St. John Métis Society, said MMIWG especially for Indigenous families in the north, hits all too close to home.

Locally, Indigenous women Rene Didier and Darylyn Supernant went missing in 2023 with their bodies later found.

Copeland says there are many more families and women affected.

“There are women in our own community that have gone missing,” said Copeland. “It impacts their families. Often these conversations go unnoticed. The day is supposed to bring awareness [that MMIWG] is a crisis.”

A walk of remembrance will begin the day at noon at Festival Plaza, followed by an artisan market at the plaza from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

New this year will be a beading class, where anyone can drop in to bead red dress earrings from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and there will be Indigenous dancers at 7:00 p.m. and a candlelight vigil at 9:00 p.m.

“I know it is a work day,” said Copeland. “So, that’s a bit of a struggle. So we did the walk at noon, in case anyone wants to join us on their lunch.

“We encourage everybody to wear red dresses, red ribbon skirts, red shirts, whatever they have. I’m hoping that the event can educate people so that they can have an understanding that this is an ongoing crisis.”

The 2nd annual Red Dress Day put on by the Fort St. John Métis Society and the Fort St. John Friendship Society will take place on Monday, May 5th supported by the Metis Nation British Columbia at the Festival Plaza located near Centennial Park.

The event is still looking for vendors and volunteers. Please email the Métis Society at fsjmetis@telus.net.