TMU marks Red Dress Day with public exhibit and community gathering at Sankofa Square
On May 5, TMU will mark Red Dress Day with a public exhibit and community gathering open to all.
Red Dress Day is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). This year, TMU’s third annual outdoor Red Dress Exhibit | Msko-mjigoodenh Zhinoomaagewin will take place at Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas) and will include a Gathering Circle and a pipe ceremony.
The exhibit is a visible reminder of the targeted gendered and racialized crimes against Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous women and girls are more likely to go missing or to be murdered than non-Indigenous women and girls. Learn more about the 231 Calls for Justice (external link) .
“This event is not only an act of remembrance and space for collective grief, but also a call to our community to learn, reflect and take action,” says Crystal Osawamick, manager, Indigenous events and special projects at TMU.
The Red Dress Exhibit returns May 5 to honour Red Dress Day and raise awareness of the ongoing violence faced by Indigenous women, girls and two–spirit people.
What’s happening and when
The Gathering Circle will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Student Learning Centre (SLC), 8th floor. It will include teachings, an offering of tobacco, prayers and a berry feast.
The Red Dress Exhibit, featuring more than 100 red dresses, will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Sankofa Square (Formerly Yonge-Dundas). Afternoon programming (at stage) begins at 1:30 p.m.
For more details visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/indigenous/events/red-dress-day/