Observed annually on May 5, the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S+, also known as Red Dress Day, honours and brings awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who have been subject to disproportionate violence in Canada. Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project installation, in which she hung empty, red dresses to represent the missing and murdered women.

Students and staff at Stayner Collegiate Institute (SCI) are deepening their learning about Red Dress Day and the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG2S+) in partnership with the Stayner Quilting Club and the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) Indigenous Education department.

Beginning in March, the Stayner Quilting Club engaged in learning facilitated by the SCDSB Indigenous Education department and SCI administration to ground the project in truth, respect, and meaningful education. This shared learning helped to establish a strong foundation for the collaboration and ensured the work was rooted in an understanding of Red Dress Day and MMIWG2S+. Building on this foundation, students and staff in Grade 8, Grade 9 geography, and Grade 11 English participated in pre-learning led by the Indigenous Education department.