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UBC Child Care is currently embarking on a Red Dress visual art journey to highlight and centre the endemic issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG).
Understanding that this topic is a heavy and serious one to raise with children, our child care educators are skilled and experienced at approaching serious topics and navigating challenging conversations in an age-appropriate manner.
“We intend to work slowly with children,” says Ena Point, Indigenous Relations Engagement Pedagogist, UBC Child Care, “speaking first about the beauty of Indigenous cultures, specifically the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm people whose land we stand on, and then having careful, planned conversations about what it would feel like if you couldn’t find someone in your family and no one would help you.”
“We want to forefront the issue of MMIWG and highlight the strength, ingenuity and continued presence of Indigenous people, particularly Indigenous women, when people walk past our settings.” — Ena Point, Indigenous Relations Engagement Pedagogist, UBC Child Care
Red Dress Day—also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People—is observed on May 5. However, this initiative at UBC Child Care is intended to be a long-term journey to learn, understand and discuss the issue with children and families.
Responding to the REDress project by Métis artist Jaime Black, earlier this year Ena invited educators at each Child Care setting to participate in a UBC Child Care Red Dress journey.
As part of the invitation, educators were asked to work together to create their own miniature red dresses and engage children in activities related to Red Dress Day—to deepen their understanding of and introduce the children to MMIWG.
Additionally, educators, children and parents, guardians and family members were invited to keep an eye out for red-coloured items while out walking with children, at home or elsewhere, to contribute to the project.
Later, Ena will create custom-made, life-sized dress forms, which these items will be tied to or woven into, and then they will be displayed outside of each child care setting, where they will act as an ongoing testament.
Photo gallery
View more photos of the mini red dress projects and activities that Child Care educators and children have engaged with.
Learn more
Learn more about Red Dress Day and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
- Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls—Assembly of First Nations
- Fact Sheet: Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls—Native Women’s Association of Canada
- The REDress Project
- Red Dress Day—Canadian Institute of Health Research
- Red Dress Day—The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Red Dress Day—Amnesty International
- Missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people
Plus, learn more about Indigeneity at UBC Child Care.
Healing and wellness resources
Engaging with this content can sometimes lead to emotional reactions and difficult thoughts and feelings, which might surface hours, days or even weeks later. This experience is perfectly normal. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it is important to respect your needs and to be kind to yourself.
There are many healing and wellness resources available—for family members, Indigenous Peoples and community members, and UBC staff, faculty and students.
Created by UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre for individuals engaging with Indian Residential School histories and impacts, many of these resources are also applicable when engaging with the related content above.
