May 5 2026
Red Dress Day is held annually on May 5 as a day of remembrance and action of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. In 2011 Métis artist, Jaime Black, created the REDress Project as “An aesthetic responses to more than 1000 missing and murdered women…and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence”.
Patriarchal colonization of Indigenous peoples has continuous impacts into present day. Indigenous women and girls make up less than 5% of the population of Canada but represent almost 25% of homicide victims. Over 60% of Indigenous women experience physical and sexual violence in their lifetime.
This Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls compiled the experiences and expertise of more than 2000 people, including survivors or family members of the missing and murdered women and girls. Published in June 2019, the report details 231 recommendations for government, institutions, society, and individuals can action to address the staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA people. As of May 5, 2026, only 2 of the 231 Calls to Justice are considered completed.
NUPGE joins the countless voices demanding sustained, meaningful reconciliation that stops the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women. That includes:
- Urging the Federal Government to implement all 231 Calls to Justice, the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’ 94 Calls to Action, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- Calling on the federal government to honour and respect the sovereignty of Indigenous Nations;
- Demanding fully funded, reliable, and safe public transportation along Highway 16
- Urging for the creation of a national “Red Dress Alert” system if Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals are reported missing, abducted or at similar risk of harm.