Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit Awareness Weekend

Red Dress Installation and the Red Sand Project

Friday, May 5, 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Saturday, May 6, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday, May 7, 11:00am – 4:00pm

Each year, thousands of women, children, and 2 Spirit Native Americans go missing or are found murdered in the United States and Canada. Gaps in data make the true scope difficult to estimate, but the murder rate of Native women is more than ten times the national average on some reservations.

In observance of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls on May 5th, which has come to be known as Red Dress Day, the Institute for American Indian Studies will be hanging red dresses, based on an installation by Jaime Black (Metis). This year, we will also be joined by representatives from the Red Sand Project, a participatory artwork initiative developed by Molly Gauchman to encourage people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and exploitation. Participate in the hanging of red dresses and scattering of red sands as you learn about the specific vulnerabilities that women and girls in Native American communities face, as well as ongoing initiatives to bring about change.

Please note: Due to the nature of this topic, these activities may trigger strong emotions in some participants.

If you would like to participate in the installation of red dresses or the scattering of red sands, please email [email protected] for additional information. Attendance at these outdoor installations is free of charge.