Red Dress Day 2025
Message from the Scientific Director of the Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health

May 5, 2025, marks the 15th anniversary of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People, also known as Red Dress Day. It is a day that serves as a powerful reminder of the need to recognize and address the violence still faced by many in Canada.

After two years of Indigenous-led protests, excavation began at a landfill in Winnipeg as part of the search for four First Nations women who were murdered in early 2022. The remains of Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris, and Ashlee Christine Shingoose (Buffalo Woman) were identified this spring. Rebecca Contois's remains had been found in Winnipeg in 2022.

That family, friends, and the broader community had to fight for the excavation to happen, highlighted the heightened violence and erasure that many Indigenous women continue to encounter across Canada.

The strength and determination of the families and advocates have been the foundation of this effort. Their love—for the women, for the land, and for one another—along with their push for justice offers a powerful vision of what reconciliation must embody.

At CIHR, we have an important role to play in advancing reconciliation by improving health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples. For health and wellness, the calls to action are clear:

• The Commissioners (of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) call upon all governments to provide adequate, stable, equitable, and ongoing funding for Indigenous‐centered and community‐based health and wellness services that are accessible and culturally appropriate, and to establish community‐based trauma‐informed programs for survivors of trauma and violence.
• The Commissioners call upon all governments to ensure substantive equality in the funding of services for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, as well as substantive equality for Indigenous‐run health services.

In alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, CIHR acknowledges the critical need to strengthen research that improves the health and wellness of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

That is why we invest in major initiatives, like the Indigenous Health Chairs in Nursing, that are translating Indigenous knowledge into health practice. It is also why we fund the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research program – national network of centres focused on strengthening Indigenous research capacity, training, and mentoring, and supporting Indigenous community-based health research that reflects the priorities and values of Indigenous Peoples.

On this Red Dress Day – as with every day – we honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S) by raising awareness and working to address this ongoing national tragedy. To pay tribute and raise awareness, I encourage you to wear red, to learn about the realities and histories of MMIWG2S, and to take part in local community events to mark this important day. Specifically, we can:

• Read, listen, and learn about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and celebrate their strength, love, and perseverance;
• Refuse to be silent – violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people affects everyone and diminishes us all; and
• Take responsibility by seeking to mend relationships; get to know your neighbours and stand up for the right of every woman, girl, and 2SLGBTQQIA person to live a life free from violence.

Let's work together to build a safer, more peaceful Canada.

Dr. Chelsea Gabel
Scientific Director, Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health, CIHR

With

Date modified:

2025-05-05