The annual Prince George Red Dress Campaign, which honours Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, will take place this Sunday.
The event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 10, starting at 1 p.m. at the Red Dress Monument located on Highway 16 and Ferry Avenue.
“There will be some drumming and then we will have the stand-in where we hold our dresses in memory and to honour our loved ones that didn't get to come home,” said Tammy Miese, president of the Prince George Red Dress Society.
“From there, we will all go together as a convoy to Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park where we will have entertainment and there's going to be food, refreshments, and guest speakers.”
At 2 p.m. at Lheildi T’enneh Memorial Park Pavillion, located behind Exploration Place, there will be hanging of the dresses, guest speakers and performances featuring Kym Gouchie, PG Tapestry Singers, Khast’an Drummers, traditional dancers and crafts before a candlelight vigil.
Red dresses have been widely adopted as a symbol to raise awareness for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls since Métis artist Jamie Black’s 2010 art project and Red Dress events have been happening in the city since 2015.
Miese added that it’s special the event can take place at the Red Dress Monument, which was installed and unveiled last year as part of the annual Red Dress Campaign.
The monument is a larger-than-life-size red dress and in front of the dress is a black silhouette of a regalia dancer, which sits facing Highway 16, also known as the Highway of Tears.
“Some of the feedback that I have gotten from families that have that came and attended last year, is that it's really nice to be able to go to one location where it truly is a place of honour for their loved ones.”
Miese also note that through her time as the president of the Prince George Red Dress Society, she has been astounded at how many people have been affected, not only just women and girls but men and boys as well.
“It’s all walks of life of all nationalities,” she said, and encourages everyone to come and participate in the event.
“It is such an amazing experience. Everybody's in their own place in their journey of healing and if you've never come, please come and be a part of it. If you don't have a red dress, we have dresses that you can hold in honour of your loved one.”
More information on the event is available on the Red Dress Society’s Facebook Page.
