BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//SchoolBundle//NONSGML Calendar 1.0//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Vancouver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:19700308T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:19701101T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Red Dress Day DESCRIPTION:CONTENT WARNING: Some readers may find the content of this ema il distressing. \nMay 5\, 2026\, is the National Day of Awareness for Mis sing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People\, also known as Red Dress Day. It is a day to a day to remember missing and mur dered Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ Peop le (Two-Spirit people who identify as having both a feminine and masculin e spirit).\n \nIn 2023\, Statistics Canada released a report showing that Indigenous women and girls were six times more likely to be murdered tha n other groups of people in Canada. Between 2009 and 2021\, Indigenous wo men and girls made up of 2% and 3% of the Canadian population yet represe nted 5% and 7% of homicide victims. The United Nations (in addition to Ca nadian and Manitoba‐led inquiries) have consistently noted that the death s\, and the failure to seek justice for these victims\, are a clear viola tion of international and domestic law and demonstrate the deadly interse ctions of racism\, colonization\, misogyny\, and homophobia. These statis tics do not give a name or a face to these daughters\, granddaughters\, s isters\, aunts\, mothers\, grandmothers\, and friends - human beings - wh o have experienced this ultimate victimization of ongoing colonialism. Se e HERE for more information\, including teacher resources on the website for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.\n\n \n\nCarolyn Roberts\, renow ned educator\, speaker\, and storyteller with a wealth of experience and expertise in Indigenous education and decolonization. She is a St&rsquo\; at&rsquo\;imc and Sto:lo woman belonging to the Thevarge family from N 9\;quatqua Nation and the Kelly Family from the Tzeachten Nation and a me mber of the Squamish Nation. You can find a lesson plan for her book Tess &rsquo\;s Red Dress HERE. \n\n \n\n \n\nAnd HERE you will find an informa tive videocast showcasing Carolyn and educator Jamie Sinclair who approac h hesitancies some folks may experience when discussing this sensitive to pic at the elementary schools level. Carolyn has a number of Teacher Talk s available on her website and on YouTube channel (scroll to the middle o f Carolyn&rsquo\;s web page to access).\n\n \n\n&ldquo\;Using age-appropr iate and empathetic language\, Tess&rsquo\;s Red Dress introduces young c hildren to Red Dress Day and the importance of remembering the Missing an d Murdered Indigenous Women\, Girls\, and 2 Spirit People. Backmatter pag es include resources to support parents and educators through this import ant and difficult conversation with their children.\n\nSix-year-old Tess is excited to welcome her new baby sibling into the world! She asks her m om what it was like growing up with a sibling. Tess&rsquo\;s mom tells he r stories about baking in the kitchen\, singing loudly in the bathtub\, s haring a bedroom\, and braiding her sister&rsquo\;s hair.\n\nDespite thei r excitement over their growing family\, they have experienced loss: her Auntie is one of the missing. The loss of any family member makes a drast ic change for those left behind and the generations to come. As the famil y gets ready for the Red Dress Day march\, Tess'\;s mom and dad show h er how to honour her Auntie by wearing her red dress and keeping the stor ies and memories of her family alive.&rdquo\; (Source: Strong Nations)\n \nSee link below for the Siwal Si&rsquo\;wes Library Collection: click on link or image to access.\nRed Dress Day Collection\n \n\n \n\n \n\nPleas e take some time to learn about this and take action\, in solidarity with MMIWG &\; 2SLGBTQI+ Peoples. \n\nAdditional information (lesson plans ) from Mé\;tis Gathering: National Day of Awareness for Missing an d Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls &\; Two-Spirit People (Red Dress Day): May 5 can be found HERE. \n\n \n\nMekw tel sq'\;eq'\;o\n\nKa hkinohw-nihtah-kohmah-kahnuk\n\nAll My Relations\,\n\n \n\nVivian Searwar \n\n \n\nDistrict Principal of Indigenous Education\n\nMission Public Sch ool District 75\n\nPreferred Contact (Cell): 604 751-6864\n\nOffice: 604 826-6286 ext. 3201 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

CONTENT WARNING : Some readers may find the content of this email distressing. 

May 5, 2026, is 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 d ay to a day to remember missing and murdered Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People (Two-Spirit peopl e who identify as having both a feminine and masculine spirit).

 

In 2023, Statistics Canada releas ed a report showing that Indigenous women and girls were six times more likely to be murdered than other groups of people in Canada. Between 2009 and 2021, Indigenous women and girls made up of 2% a nd 3% of the Canadian population yet represented 5% and 7% of homi cide victims. The United Nations (in addition to Canadian and Mani toba‐led inquiries) have consistently noted that the deaths, and the failure to seek justice for these victims, ar e a clear violation of international and domestic law and demonstr ate the deadly intersections of racism, colonization, misogyny, an d homophobia. These statistics do not give a name or a face to the se daughters, granddaughters, sisters, aunts, mothers, grandmother s, and friends – human beings – who have experienced this ultimate victimization of ongoing colonialism. See HERE for more in formation, including teacher resources on the website for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

 

Carolyn Rober ts, renowned educator, speaker, and storyteller with a wealth of e xperience and expertise in Indigenous education and decolonization . She is a St’at’imc and Sto:lo woman belonging to the Thevarge fa mily from N'quatqua Nation and the Kelly Family from the Tzeachten Nation and a member of the Squamish Nation. You can find a lesson plan for her book Tess’s Red Dress HERE. 

 

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And HERE you will fin d an informative videocast showcasing Carolyn and educator Jamie S inclair who approach hesitancies some folks may experience when di scussing this sensitive topic at the elementary schools level. Car olyn has a number of Teacher Talks available on her websi te and on YouTube channel (scroll to the middle of Carolyn’s web p age to access).

 

“Using age-appropriate and empatheti c language, Tess’s Red Dress introduces young children to Red Dress Day and the importance of remembering the Missing and M urdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirit People. Backmatter p ages include resources to support parents and educators through th is important and difficult conversation with their children.

Six-year-old Tess is excited to welcome her new baby sibling into the world! She asks her mom what it was like growing up with a si bling. Tess’s mom tells her stories about baking in the kitchen, s inging loudly in the bathtub, sharing a bedroom, and braiding her sister’s hair.

Despite their excitement over their growing f amily, they have experienced loss: her Auntie is one of the missin g. The loss of any family member makes a drastic change for those left behind and the generations to come. As the family gets ready for the Red Dress Day march, Tess's mom and dad show her how to ho nour her Auntie by wearing her red dress and keeping the stories a nd memories of her family alive.” (Source: Strong Nations)

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See link below for the Siwal Si’wes Librar y Collection: click on link or image to access.

Red Dres s Day Collection

 

1776700806379.74a44a11445.png

 

 

Please take some time to learn about this and take action, in solidarity with MMIWG & 2SLGBTQI+ Peoples. 

Additional information (lesson plans) from Métis Gathering:   National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Wome n and Girls & Two-Spirit People (Red Dress Day): May 5  can be fou nd HERE. 

 

Me kw tel sq'eq'o

Kahkinohw-nihtah-kohmah-kahnuk

All My R elations,

 

Vivian Searwar

 

District Prin cipal of Indigenous Education

Mission Public School District 75

Preferred Contact (Cell): 604 751-6864

Office: 604 826-6286 ext. 3201

DTSTAMP:20260430T151518Z UID:4616@Mpsd.sbc SEQUENCE:5 URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.mpsd.ca/_ci/calendar/event/4616 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240505 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240506 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;INTERVAL=12;BYMONTHDAY=5;UNTIL=20330505T070000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR