Indigenous Women & Girls and Two-Spirit People
Moose Hide Campaign
The City supports the annual Moose Hide Campaign and the National Day of Action on May 16, 2024. This is a call to action to men and boys in ending violence towards women and children.
The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement of men and boys - and all Canadians - who are standing up against violence towards women and children.
Wearing a moose hide campaign signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect women and children in your life and to work together to end violence against women and children, and all those along the gender continuum. Learn more at MooseHideCampaign.ca.
You can pick up a free moose hide pin at the Customer Care kiosk in the lobby of Saskatoon City Hall between May 6 and 16, while supplies last.
Red Dress Day (May 5)
Red Dress Day is a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two Spirit persons (those who identify as having both a feminine and masculine spirit). IWG2S persons are at a greater risk of abuse and violence due to factors beyond their control: gender, cultural heritage, gender identity, poverty, colonialism.
In recognition of Red Dress Day (May 5), several events will be taking place in Saskatoon:
Saskatoon Police Service Calling Home Ceremony
May 3 | 9 to 10 AM | SPS Headquarters (76 25th St E)
To honour all MMIWG2S persons and the loved ones left behind. Pipe Ceremony and gathering/refreshments to follow.
Office of the Treaty Commissioner Virtual Presentation
May 3 | 2 to 3 PM | via Zoom
Join the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) via Zoom for a MMIWIG2S presentation from guest speaker Elizabeth Zdunich. Elizabeth (Liz) Zdunich is a certified teacher who specializes in Indigenous Perspectives and Treaty Education implementation in the classroom.
Red Dress Installations
The City will lend its red dresses and Red Dress Day storyboards to USask for an installation in the Campus Bowl on Friday, May 3.
On Sunday, May 5, the City will hang red dresses and display MMIWG2S storyboards on the lawn of City Hall to raise awareness for this issue. The Red Dress Community Awareness Walk will pass in front of City Hall along 3rd Avenue N, and then alongside City Hall on 24th Street E heading towards the river.
A red dress is also permanently displayed in a glass case in the City Hall Lobby; you can find it next to the Customer Care & Security Kiosk.
Beaded Red Dress Earrings Workshop
May 5 | 10 AM to 4 PM | Wanuskewin (4 Penner Rd, Saskatoon)
Join artist Chanelle Gamble for this workshop focused on MMIWG2S & Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men and Boys (MMIMB). This offering is for all levels, no experience needed – ages 15+. $50 per participants which includes all workshop materials, free parking, and admission to the site, trails, and exhibits. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.
The Wanuskewin restaurant is open for lunch, or you can bring your own.
Screening at Remai Modern
May 5 | 12:30 to 2 PM | Remai Modern
The Remai Modern will screen “Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy” (2021, directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) in honour of Red Dress Day.
Follow filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers as she creates an intimate portrait of her community and the impacts of the substance use and overdose epidemic. Witness the change brought by community members with substance-use disorder, first responders, and medical professionals as they strive for harm reduction in the Kainai First Nation in southern Alberta.
This screening is free and open to the public. The film is Not Rated (NR) and runs 88 minutes.
Awareness Walk
May 5 | 2 PM | starts/ends at Vimy Memorial Bandstand (20th St E & Spadina Cres E)
Taking part in this walk is one way to say we need to do better and end this pattern of violence once and for all. All are welcome; participants are invited to bring photos of loved ones or signs with calls to action.
This event is led by community with the support of the City of Saskatoon.
Along with participating in the activities listed above, here are some other ways you can help raise awareness and demonstrate support for IWG2S and their families in the lead-up to Red Dress Day:
- Display a red dress in a public space
- Print and display this Red Dress Decal
- Wear a Red Dress Pin (available for purchase locally including at Wanuskewin and the Wanuskewin Gift Shop on Broadway Avenue)
Red Dress Installation – City Hall Lobby
The red dress is a symbol of solidarity with the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit persons. A Red Dress has been installed in the City Hall Lobby to increase awareness of MMIWG2S. When visiting the City Hall Lobby, you can find this display on the wall next to the Customer Care Kiosk.
The plaque reads: This red dress is a tribute to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit persons (those who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit). Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit persons face disproportionate violence, trauma, and exploitation. This is not an Indigenous issue; it's a community issue. We have a collective responsibility for the safety of every member of our community.
Creating Safe Spaces for IWG2S
In August 2021, the City of Saskatoon released a report on supporting IWG2S. The report, IWG2S* Coming Home, was developed in response to a directive from City Council to identify options for how the City can respond to the Calls for Justice contained within The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (released by the federal government in 2019).
Proposed Action Plan: The key recommendations contained in the final report, entitled IWG2S – Coming Home, are:
- Phase 1: Hire an Independent Representative of Matriarchs for IWG2S. That person will coordinate, refer, support, review, evaluate and assess, decide, investigate, and advise.
- Phase 2: Create an IWG2S Centre to coordinate services that works in tandem with the rest of the City departments and the other agencies offering services to IWG2S.
- Phase 3: Extend the Role of the Representative of Matriarchs to become an Officer of Transparency and Accountability.
The report emphasizes that the methods of addressing the exploitation of IWG2S people must be developed, instituted, and administered by the matriarchs in the Indigenous community, as was the case traditionally. It's noted that the input heard again and again by the research team, from a range of diverse voices in our community, was “this is not something that can be done for us or about us. It must be led by those from within.”
Other Key Insights:
- Our community benefits from the input of IWG2S people but we are fully realizing these benefits. We need to acknowledge the strength and contributions of IWG2S people versus the suffering. For example, dropping “missing and murdered” from references to supports for Indigenous women and girls.
- We need to recognize that there are IWG2S people that we’re not reaching and will only reach through a new form of intervention.
- Anti-racism work in our community is also necessary since racism and patriarchy are the root causes of the challenges and barriers to creating a safe and secure community for IWG2S people.
Next Steps: The report was presented to City Council’s Governance and Priorities Committee on July 19, 2021, where Administration indicated they would conduct an analysis of the recommendation and ways in which the City could approach implementation.
The Coming Home report was partially funded by the First Nations and Métis Community Partnership Projects, a program of the Ministry of Government Relations.