Trinity College School’s arts department and student-led Arts Council honoured the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people with an art installation in Cirne Commons throughout the week of May 1st to 5th, in conjunction with Arts Week. On Friday, May 5th, in morning chapel service, Arts Council member Emily Brown spoke about the significance of the installation:
“I’m sure you all have noticed the red hangers around Cirne this past week and we just wanted to say that today, May 5th, is Red Dress Day. But what is Red Dress Day? It is a day that was made to bring awareness to the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people here in Canada.
“Indigenous women make up just 5% of the Canadian population but make up almost 25% of the women who die by violence in Canada.
“This week we especially wanted to highlight Red Dress Day because it was actually recognized and started because of art. Métis artist Jaime Black created the REDress Project installation, which consisted of empty red dresses hung around a set location, be it outside in some trees, in a building, or somewhere noticeable. The installation travelled throughout Canada gaining awareness and now The REDress Project is a permanent exhibit in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
“Red Dress Day was first commemorated in 2010 and is now used to pay respect to victims, bring awareness of the issue, and call on the government to take action against gender and race-based violence faced by Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
“The 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action report identified action number 41 to address the disproportionate amount of violence toward Indigenous women and girls.
“In December 2015, the federal government pledged over $53 million for the establishment of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“This week, the Arts Council recreated an installation inspired by Jaime Black’s REDress Project. Our installation includes around 60 red velvet hangers hung up around Cirne Commons. Each of the hangers has the name of an Indigenous person who went missing and the last year they were seen. All of the women represented on the hangers have had no justice or even closure for their cases.”
Students and staff were encouraged to visit the display and to read the names, and red ribbons were provided in chapel for people to wear on their blazers to show commitment to this issue.
Thank you to the arts department, the Arts Council, and to the staff members of the facilities & IT services department who helped install the project.
