05/05/2026
On May 5, Red Dress Day marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people.
Across Canada, red dresses hang in trees, windows, and gathering spaces, moving with the wind. Empty, yet heavy with meaning. Each one marks a life taken, a presence that should still be here.
Red was chosen with intention. In many Indigenous teachings, red is the colour spirits can see. These dresses are not only symbols for the living, but signals to those who are gone: you are seen, you are remembered.
The emptiness is deliberate. It confronts us with what is missing, not numbers, but daughters, mothers, aunties, sisters, and friends.
This crisis is rooted in colonialism, systemic inequities, and racism that continue to shape outcomes today. Naming that truth matters. It is where accountability begins.
And still, there is strength. Families, survivors, and communities continue to carry grief while demanding justice. They remember. They speak. They persist.
In Calgary, Red Dress Day is marked by walks, vigils, and installations across the city. If you are able, take time to attend, reflect, or simply pause and acknowledge.
Learn. Listen to Indigenous voices. Hold space for these conversations. These actions matter. They are a refusal to look away.
This work does not end on May 5. On June 6, Blue Jean Jacket Day raises awareness for Missing, Murdered, and Exploited Indigenous Men and Boys, reminding us this crisis extends further than many realize.
These are not distant issues. They are present and ongoing.
And the hardest truth is this: these red dresses are empty because people are missing. Because people were taken. Because systems continue to fail.
This is not history. It is still happening.
Sit with that. Let it change how you see, how you listen, and what you choose not to ignore.
