05/05/2025
May 5, 2025, marks the 15th anniversary of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day. This day serves as a powerful reminder of the need to recognize and address the violence faced by many Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Manitoba and across Turtle Island.
Honouring MMIWG2S+ and MMIMB – We Stand United for Justice 🦅
Today, we pause to honour the lives and legacies of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. Red Dress Day is not just a day of remembrance - it is a day of action, advocacy, and truth. In Manitoba, the loss is deep, the pain is generational, and the fight is far from over.
We lift up the names of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois, Ashlee Shingoose, Tanya Nepinak, and so many others. Each of these women was cherished family members, stolen from their loved ones, their communities, and from us all. Their families continue to carry the unbearable weight of grief while demanding answers, accountability, and the respect every human being deserves.
We echo their calls: Women are not trash. Our loved ones do not belong in landfills.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the families - honouring their strength, courage, and relentless pursuit of justice. We continue to demand immediate action:
🔺 A full humanitarian search of the Brady Road Landfill
🔺 Inclusion of Tanya Nepinak in ongoing recovery efforts
🔺 Long-term, sustainable support for families impacted by this national crisis
Our work is guided by love and driven by an urgent truth: Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are sacred. They matter. They are not statistics - they are daughters, mothers, sisters, aunties, and friends. And they must be brought home.
The ongoing discoveries at Prairie Green, and eventually the Brady Landfills, are painful reminders of the systemic violence and colonial indifference that continue to claim our relatives. But we also see the power of community, the strength of our families, and the possibility of justice when political will aligns with human dignity.
To all those grieving, to those still searching, and to the families whose voices have never wavered—we see you, we honour you, and we will never stop fighting for you.
📞 If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to the Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or visit hopeforwellness.ca
