This message is being shared on behalf of The First Peoples Indigenous Centre. Please direct questions to jocelyne.pelletier@durhamcollege.ca.

On May 5, we remember and honour the lives of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited individuals whose lives have been taken as a result of the ongoing MMIWG2S crisis in Canada.

In 2016, the Government of Canada launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls which demonstrated the disproportionally high levels of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls, and the systemic injustices which contribute to this crisis.

Jillian Boyce of the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics identifies that “Aboriginal females (220E violent incidents per 1,000 people) had an overall rate of violent victimization that was double that of Aboriginal males (110E per 1,000), close to triple that of non-Aboriginal females (81 per 1,000) and more than triple that of non-Aboriginal males (66 per 1,000)” (2016, p. 3). It must also be acknowledged that these statistics are even higher as a result of unreported cases of gender-based violence.

In honour of Red Dress Day 2022, the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC) encourages the Durham College (DC) campus community to wear red as a symbol of their commitment to action in the elimination of gender-based violence.

DC staff and students can learn more about the MMIWG2S crisis in Canada by visiting red dress installations from May 2 to 6 at the following campus locations:

• The Pit, Oshawa campus
• The Galleria, Oshawa campus
• Main Building Atrium, Whitby campus

Additionally, FPIC invites the DC community to join us on Tuesday, May 3 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. for Soup and Substance featuring a screening of Our Sisters in Spirit, directed by Nick Printup, followed by a learning circle. Please register in advance.

Furthermore, CAREA Community Centre invites residents of the greater Durham Region to participate in their Honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Gathering on Thursday, May 5 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. This event will feature the lighting of a sacred fire, Big Drum, guest speakers and a silent auction. Registration is not required.

 

Reference:

Boyce, J. (2016). Victimization of Aboriginal people in Canada, 2014. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X. Ottawa, Ontario. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14631- eng.pdf?st=_lz1AFmw