RED DRESS DAY

1. RED DRESS DAY REDDRESSDAY You see a beautiful red dress hanging in the trees. The day on the calendar May5th,remindsusthatitrepresentsthemanyIndigenousWomen, Girlsand Two-Spirit Persons who have been viciously murdered.Some of these precious souls have been found, but most are still missing. What that red dressstands for isreally not beautifulat all!

2. RedDressDayisasombergatheringandspeaksloudly.Familiesacrossthe nation speak out on this day, “We are visible and we are here. We stand with ourmessage,notto beapartof aproblem,buta partofthesolution”. Wecanneverletthememoriesofmissingwomensilentlyslipaway.Much work needs to be done every day to change attitudes, change environments, change the outcome and future generations for Indigenous Women. ALL peoplestanding together,usingtheirvoicesisparamountintheworkneeded tomakechangeagainsttheinjusticeofcrimesagainstIndigenous Women. There are 231 Calls for Justice. They are legal imperatives and not optional. Theyrepresentimportantwaystoendthegenocideandtotransformsystemic andsocietalvaluesthat haveworkedtomaintain colonialviolence. In Call #1: The Calls are to ensure that equitable access to basic rights such as employment, housing, education, safety, and health care is recognized as a fundamental means of protecting Indigenous and human rights, resourced and supported as rights-based programs founded on substantive equality.All programsmustbeno-barrierandmustapplyregardlessofStatusorlocation. InCall#4:Allgovernmentsmustsupportandresourceeconomicandsocial progress and development on an equitable basis, as these measures are required to uphold the human dignity, life, liberty, and security of Indigenous women,girls,and2SLGBTQQIApeople.Allgovernmentsmustsupportand resourcecommunity-basedsupportsandsolutionsdesignedtoimprovesocial and economic security, led by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. This support must come with long-term, sustainable funding designed to meet the needs and objectives as defined by Indigenous Peoples and communities.

3. Call#15:DenounceandspeakoutagainstviolenceagainstIndigenous women,girls, and2SLGBTQQIApeople. CallsforAll Canadians: Asthisreporthasshown,andwithineveryencounter,eachpersonhasarole to play in order to combat violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. Beyond those Calls aimed at governments or at specific industries or service providers, we encourage every Canadian to considerhowtheycangive lifetotheseCallsfor Justice.Wecallon all Canadiansto: WomeninIndigenouscultureoncehadpowerandultimaterespect. Violent treatmentofwomencompletelygoesagainstthevaluethatIndigenous Peoplestraditionallyplacedonthem.Theywerethelife-giversandheld leadership roles in various areas such as economics, spirituality, and politics withintheircommunities.ThroughdecolonizationandthearrivalofEuropean ideology, the horrific mistreatment began. There is still very little justice for centuriesofmurdersandviolenceagainstIndigenous Women, Girlsand Two-Spirit Peoples.Theyare12timesmorelikelytobemurderedandgo missingthanotherwomeninCanada.Thisneedstochange…today! Thefederalgovernmentin2019finallydeclaredviolenceagainstIndigenous Women and Girls“a nationaltragedy ofepic proportion.” Industrial and Business Canada, when partnering with It’s Time For Change can make the most immediate and positive difference. When we begin to communicate and collaborate with Indigenous Peoples it will most definitely bringastrongeconomytoindividualsandcommunities.Whentheeconomyis

4. strong,itisstatisticallyprovenwellnessisup,confidenceflowsfromone generationtothe nextand sparksongoing prosperity. ToendviolencetowardIndigenous Women andGirlsracistandsexist attitudes must be reversed. Addressing structural factors such as underfunding of basic human needs including housing, clean water, food security, education and employment is the first step. Solid investigations into past and present cases of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls must occur and the punishment MUST fit the crime. A huge barrier to making these changes is factored by the dominant male presence within the differentagenciesresponsibleformakingdecisions.IndigenousWomenfrom allwalksoflifeshouldbeincluded,respectedandheard.Cooperationand co-existencewillleadtosurvival. Indigenouswomentodayareleadingthewaytowardhealingthewoundsof colonization, as they confront the issues of residential schools, MMIWG2S, centuries of racism, abuse, violence, drug and alcohol addictions. They cannotcontinuetohangreddressesinthetrees,hopingtheheartsof Canadians feels their pain and address their needs. As a society, the time to cometogetherinTruthandReconciliationandRespectisnow.Nolongercan Talkbe the wayforward.Action isrequired by all. AswehonourRedDressDayandallthatitrepresents,It’sTimeForChange stands alongside Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Peoples with determination to bring about positive well-being, economic, lifelong changes fortheir future.