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CBC
05-05-2025
- CBC
Here's how the 15th Red Dress Day is being marked in B.C.
Social Sharing Monday marks 15 years of Indigenous people and their allies gathering, marching and holding ceremony for the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered in Canada. The national day of awareness and remembrance, known as Red Dress Day, was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black after she created the REDress project — an art installation of red dresses hanging in public spaces that serve as a visual reminder of the Indigenous women and girls who are no longer with us. Since 2010, Indigenous people and allies have taken part in the project — hanging red dresses, creating artwork, and marching together to remember loved ones and call those who are missing back home. According to the Government of Canada, 63 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime. In 2023, Statistics Canada released a report showing that Indigenous women and girls were six times more likely to be murdered than other groups of people in Canada. The federal government launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls (MMIWG) in 2016. In the final report released in 2019, 231 calls to action were made along with findings of genocide against Indigenous peoples in Canada. Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, says Red Dress Day matters because it "makes the invisible visible." "Red Dress Day is a significant day," said Don Tom, chief of Tsartlip First Nation and vice-president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). "We must continue to bring awareness to ensure all Indigenous women are safe. It's a day to say we haven't forgotten the many women and girls whose lives have been taken too early. We demand justice and action on this day." On Monday, the UBCIC and non-profit Justice for Girls will be making an announcement about the deaths of Tatyanna Harrison, Chelsea Poorman and Noelle O'Soup, alongside their families. Harrison and Poorman were young Indigenous women, while O'Soup was an Indigenous teenager. Their bodies were found in Metro Vancouver within weeks of each other, in the spring of 2022. Investigations into how the Vancouver Police Department handled the three cases are underway. There are plenty of Red Dress Day events happening in B.C. this week. If you cannot make an event in person, wearing red is a sign of solidarity. Find your local event here. Abbotsford REDress Day & MMIWG2S+ awareness walk event When: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 32203 South Fraser Way Chase MMIWG walk and barbecue When: Monday, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Where: 6443 Hillcrest Rd Clearwater MMIWG 5K walk or run When: Monday, 5 p.m. Where: 416 Eden Rd. Comox Valley MMIWG2S+ awareness walk & event When: Monday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Where: 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay Fort St. John Red Dress Day 2025 When: Monday, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. Where: 9523 100 St. Golden MMIWG2S awareness and solidarity walk When: Monday, 9:30 a.m. Where: 611 10th Ave. North Hope Red Dress Day walk When: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 6th Avenue Ball Park Kamloops Red Dress Day walk When: Monday, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Where: 707 Tranquille Rd. Red Dress Day event When: Monday, 11 a.m. Where: 357 Chief Alex Thomas Way Kelowna Red Dress Day walk When: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: 442 Leon Ave. Kitimat Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples awareness gathering When: Monday, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Where: 606 Mountain Sq. Haisla Nation Red Dress Day walk When: Monday, 1 p.m. Where: 500 Gitxsan Ave. Lillooet MMIWG2S+ event When: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 780 Main St. Lower Nicola Indian Band LNIB MMIW awareness walk When: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: Lower Nicola Band Hall New Westminster Red Dress Day reflection When: Monday, 3:15 p.m. - 7 p.m. Where: 620 8th St. Honouring MMIWG When: Monday, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Where: 796 Columbia St. North Okanagan North Okanagan Friendship Centre When: Monday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Where: 2904 29th Ave. North Vancouver Red Dress Day honouring ceremony When: Monday, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Where: 147 East 12th St. Pitt Meadows Red Dress Day ceremony 2025 When: Monday, 1:30 p.m. Where: 11985 Harris Rd. Penticton Red Dress Day When: Monday, 11 a.m. Where: 1099 Lakeshore Dr. West Prince Rupert Red Dress fashion event When: Monday, 3 p.m. Where: Civic Centre Auditorium Saulteau First Nations MMIWG awareness day When: Monday, 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Where: Crowfeathers Seabird Island Band Red Dress gathering When: Monday, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where: Band office gym Tsawwassen First Nation MMIWG2S 5K walk When: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: TFN Rec Centre, 1929 Tsawwassen Dr. Vancouver Dancing with Our Ancestors exhibit When: Monday, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. (exhibit opening), & May 5-19 Where: UBC Robson Square Sun Room, 800 Robson St National Day of Awareness MMIW+ When: Monday, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Where: 1657 Charles St. Victoria Our Women are Sacred walk When: Monday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Where: 2 Hallowell Rd. Witset First Nation Red Dress Day 2025 When: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: Smithers RCMP station
CBC
03-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
First Nations leaders in B.C. call for Conservatives to drop candidate Aaron Gunn
A former vice-president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) wants the Conservative Party to drop its candidate in his riding over posts on social media that show "denial of residential school impacts." "I find it extremely troubling that a candidate for any party could make such blatantly racist comments," said Bob (Galagame) Chamberlin, who served as UBCIC vice-president for 10 years and as elected chief of Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation for 14 years. Aaron Gunn made posts on X between 2019 and 2021 denying that Indigenous people faced a genocide in Canada and that "residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands." Gunn is now running as the Conservative Party candidate for North Island-Powell River. A post from Gunn on X from October 2020 reads "There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book. The Holocaust was a genocide. Get off Twitter and learn more about the world." More than 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the residential school system "cultural genocide" in its final report released in 2015. The House of Commons unanimously passed a motion in 2022 recognizing Canada's residential schools as genocide. The motion was passed after Pope Francis described residential schools as genocide after his visit to Canada in July 2022. Chamberlin said these comments show a "denial of residential school impacts" and Gunn "obviously can never represent the interests of First Nations people in this riding." Terry Teegee, B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, said the Conservative Party should take a closer look at its candidates and consider dropping Gunn. "Mr. Gunn certainly hasn't read up on the term that is genocide," he said. "It's really concerning that perhaps the Conservatives can't work with First Nations peoples across this country, especially with a party that supports an individual of this type of view." A post on X from June 2021 reads "Residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands in Eastern Ontario when John A. Macdonald was still a teenager, but hey, why let the truth get in the way of a good headline." UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip called the posts "absolutely reprehensible and repugnant and completely devoid of any sense of compassion for Indigenous Peoples who suffered enormously through the residential school experience." "I don't think this man is fit for public office, whether it be federal or provincial or any office that allows him to continue to make these horrible statements," he said. Chamberlin said that Gunn's social media posts constitute residential school denialism. "My fear is if candidates like Aaron Gunn become successful and are elected, that is the conversations that will continue to drive the oppression of First Nations people," said Chamberlin. Conservative Party responds CBC News made several attempts to reach Gunn for comment but did not hear back by time of publishing. In a statement, a campaign spokesperson for the Conservative Party said "Aaron Gunn has been clear in recognizing the truly horrific events that transpired in residential schools, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is simply false." The statement points to comments made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to the Assembly of First Nations last July, in which he acknowledged the suffering caused by residential schools, calling it a "monstrous abuse of excessive governmental power." In the speech, Poilievre said there was more work to be done and "I know that Canada has no future without a strong future for the First Nations people." In the statement, the spokesperson said "Mr. Gunn, along with great candidates such as former Haisla Chief Ellis Ross, is looking forward to repealing the Liberals radical anti-resource laws to quickly green-light good projects so First Nations and all Canadians bring home more powerful paycheques." NDP candidate for North Island-Powell River Tanille Johnston said in a statement to CBC News, "It's horrific to see the Conservatives run a candidate that carries such divisive and harmful beliefs." "I believe that the Conservatives should explain why they feel this type of candidate is best suited for not only our riding of North Island-Powell River, but for our federal government." The Conservative Party has dropped four candidates this week, three of them for controversial comments. The Liberal Party of B.C. rejected Gunn's application to run for its leadership in 2021 after a review of comments attributed to Gunn on social media.
