“When I saw that art project, it spoke to me.”
Tammy Meise, the woman responsible for bringing the Red Dress Society to the City of Prince George, reflected on what brought on the urge to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
21 years ago, Meise’s childhood friend was murdered, only to have her body later found at the high watermark of the outflow of Little Lillooet Lake. While she wasn’t killed along the Highway of Tears, Meise points out that nonetheless, her friend is still a victim.
The REDress Project was initially started by a Winnipeg-based Meti artist by the name of Jaime Black nearly ten years ago.
A group setting up at the intersection of Highway 16 and 97, honouring the victims of the Highway of Tears. #CityofPG #HighwayOfTears pic.twitter.com/fft02UZfns
— Ethan Ready ?️ (@EthanReady) September 8, 2019
Black collected hundreds of donated red dresses that were then later displayed in public spaces across Canada, including the Canadian Museum of Human Rights for a one-day display.
“I don’t know why I was chosen to do this,” Meise told MyPGNow. “I just know that I was, that I needed to be a part of something bigger than myself, to hold a safe space for other people that needed to walk their healing journey. It’s where we support one another.”
She added that the Red Dress Campaign acts as a way to give a voice back to all the women and girls who have been taken.
“When we do this year after year, we ensure that they’re never forgotten.”
Sunday’s schedule fo events kicked off with the “Stand In” at the intersection of Highway 16 and 97.
There, they marched together, red dresses in tow as they lined along the side of the highway.
While the day marked the Society’s schedule of events here in Prince George, it was also designed to help boost awareness for the official event, which is held on October 4th, which marks National Day of Vigils to Remember Murdered and Missing Aboriginal Women.
According to the April 22, 2016 background on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, from 1980 to 2012, Indigenous women and girls represented 16 per cent of all female homicides in Canada while representing only 4 per cent of the female population in Canada.
A 2011 Statistics Canada report estimated that from 1997 and 2000, the rate of homicide for Aboriginal females was almost seven times higher than other females.
Those driving by the iconic Mr PG over the next little while may notice a new flag waving in the hand of the timberman.
“This flag right here, it’s the Prince George Red Dress Society’s actual official flag. It goes up at the beginning of the week, and that to us is the kickoff to the campaign. People see the flag and then they start the conversation, whether it’s good, bad, or ugly… it starts the conversation.”
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