Seven years ago, students at Concordia began a tradition of honouring MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women). They were inspired by the work of Jaime Black, a Métis visual artist. Jaime Black. Black created an art exhibition called “The REDress Project” which was inspired by a dance performance she witnessed in Bogotá, Columbia where more than three hundred women danced in red dresses while shouting out the names of family members who had been murdered or gone missing. The REDress Project is an installation of empty red dresses placed in public spaces. Beyond raising awareness, Jaime means her installation to acknowledge, welcome, and empower the energy of the spirits of these lost women. She wants these spirits to see they are honored and to be called on for the guidance and power that ancestors possess.

At Concordia, the annual commemoration for Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous Peoples has evolved over time. For instance, blue shirts have been added to honour missing and murdered Indigenous men. The dresses used to be placed for a week or more, but now you see them for shorter periods of time. This is to protect Indigenous faculty and students for whom these are reminders of personal trauma as well as the danger of living as an Indigenous person in Canada.

It is easy, if you are not Indigenous, to be unaware of the experiences of Indigenous people and how things like the red dresses and blue shirts feel. Arlene, a cultural advisor and educator from kihêwak kâpimihâcik/Where Eagles Fly (CUE’s Indigenous Student Services Centre) spoke to me about her own experiences. The fears around the targeting of Indigenous women across Turtle Island have prevented her from enjoying simple pleasures like a walk in the river valley. I was also told a frightening story about an attempted abduction of one of the women at the Indigenous Centre that happened only a few weeks ago. This, tragically, is a common enough occurrence that it is a part of the safety practices of the Centre and cultural programming for women. To those of us who are not Indigenous, red dresses and blue shirts might signal Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous Peoples awareness, but for our neighbours, they serve as mirrors and reminders of an unjust reality.

There is tremendous power and spirit in the clothing that you saw placed all over campus. It took strength and bravery for the Indigenous members of our community to organize this and to weather the memories and feelings that are invoked by this week. Our responsibility is to honour them by opening our own hearts and minds to the process. Also, as students, we can commit to diligently educating ourselves on Indigenous experiences. Each of us can take a course of Indigenous Studies while we obtain our degrees. Each of us can launch discussions amongst our families and peers. Each of us can look out for one another (even if we don’t know each other). We all want to live in a safe and respectful world, and we can all do our part… we owe it to all of the generations to come.